Pierce paced nervously in front oft he little opening in the wall, every now and then freezing when a shadow lingered, throwing him and the little alcove he was hiding in into complete darkness. This was not how they had planned all of this to happen, this was not right! Harry and him were never supposed to get separated, they had promised to stay together, forever! And now harry wasn’t returning and he was alone, was it because of the letter that had found him here? Was Harry after all upset?

 Harry stood speechless glancing at the black owl who stood before him, just as still as him, he dared not move, lest he startle the bird and have her take off with the letter that just had to be his! He knew it had to be his! If Pierce got one, then he had to get one too! They had said that they would never leave each other! The bird bristled slightly and stretched her leg out even further, snapping her beak as if to tell him just how displeased she was.

“Okay,” harry mumbled nervously, creeping forwards carefully before extending his hand carefully, almost afraid to touch it, praying that she the beautiful bird would not vanish from right before his eyes, leaving him with nothing. 

To Mr. Harry James Potter,

West haven Alley

The front of his envelope read in much the same style that Pierces had been written in, the red wax stamp making it look official and important. He unclasped the envelope from the birds leg, before extending one dirty hand carefully. The bird held perfectly still as he carefully closed the distance between his dirty fingers and her shiny feathers. He held his breath as his figners brushed over her beautiful coat of feathers, surprised at the silkiness of it.

“I got one too!” Harry cried out quietly the moment he squeezed himself into the small gap in the wall, finding his friend sitting against the wall in almost complete darkness now.

“where were you? I waited for hours!” Pierce growled before his eyes fell on the letter, the joy that almost instantaneously came to his face was as quickly overshadowed by doubt and then trepidation.

“Harry, what if someone is playing us? What if someone found us? What if they want us to go to Kings Cross soon, only to bring us back?”

Harry found his excitement at the letter stop dead in its tracks, much like he did, when he considered his friends words.

“what does it say?” Pierce asked, crawling closer.

“They know where we are staying!” Harry whispered nervously.

“And Magic Harry? Do you really think there are actually schools for that? Why doesn’t anyone know about it then?”

“Well,” Harry said, wanting to cling to the letter, not wanting to give up this little feeling of hope, this feeling of some sort of belonging he experienced by only holding the letter.

“And even if it were real we could never afford it!” Pierce added pulling the crumbled up letter from his backpocket. “If this really is a school and not just a stupid joke, then it’s gotta be real expensive.”

Harry sighed as he glanced at the still sealed envelope.

“So what should we do?”

“I say we go on, it’s not that much farther until Scottland and we still have some money left, and then we can go see my cousin, he always promised me to get me out when he was done with school and earned some money.”

“When is he done?”

“I’m not sure, I think this or next summer. But maybe he can hide us away in his flat, or his rooms.”

“Won’t he get in trouble though?”

“I don’t know, we never thought about that, but he promised, he just promised me again when he called during spring break, he said he wouldn’t forget me! And he’ll help you too, I promise. He is older, he knows what to do.”

They walked through the entire night, flinching once in a while when a car hit the breaks anywhere close, jumping even further away from the street whenever they heard a police siren, talking quietly, walking down at the side of the highway, every now and then climbing up the little ditch to make sure that a sign still read edinburough.

“Do you know where he lives exactly?”

“No, but we’ll find him. We could look through the registers when we get to Scottland, I know that he lives with other boys, he doesn’t live with adults, only one, Snape something, I think. There can’t be that many Snapes!”  Pierce said urgently, rubbing his cold hand against each other. Even though it was the beginning of June it got terribly cold during the nights.

“I think we should wash up again the restrooms here, and maybe buy another snack,” Harry said as a new gasstation sign came up not to far from them.

They walked for almost another hour, both still, both their minds thinking of the letter they had on them, the letter that promised either the chance of a new life, or the return to their old life, lifes both of them had fled.

“We only have thirty pounds left,” Pierce observed when he pulled out the crumbled bills.

“And a couple of coins,” Harry added pulling the coins from his pocket when they saw the restrooms close up the road.

“Have you ever thought of maybe climbing into the back of a truck, or something like that to get there faster?”

“No, but we could climb onto a train,” Harry said eying the cars distrustfully.

“with cars you never know where they are going, trains can’t change their mind in the middle of it, or turn around because they forgot something at home,” Harry added when he thought of the many times they had to turn around an hour into the drive because Dudley threw a fit since he forgot a toy or something of the sorts.

“Is there a trainstation close by?” Pierce asked, looking around, as if one would just materialize out of nowhere.

“No, but there’s gotta be one really close. London is not far away, and the largest trainstation is right there.”

It wasn’t until they had left the trainstation a few minutes later, having stilled their thirst and washed up in the restroom and walked for almost two more hours that they heard the unmistakable sound of a train rushing by. Both of them almost broke into a sprint following their ears, calling to each other every once in a while, fighting over where best to run to, urging each other on. They ran for almost five minutes until neither of them could take another step.

“We need to sleep,” Pierce said yawning with his mouth wide open.

“Yeah, maybe. But if we climb a train, then we could sleep in there.”

“What if we get caught though?” Pierce asked, all of a sudden fear in his eyes.

“Then we jump and run as fast as we can. But we have been walking for days now and are still in England!” Harry said scratching his dirty and itchy face. He had not bathed since shortly before he left the Dursleys and that was at least twenty days ago, he thought, he hadn’t really been counting.

“But what if we fall off?” Pierce asked again, even as Harry continued walking towards the direction he had last heard the loud roar of the trainengine from.

“We won’t,” Harry said stubbornly before yelping, as he stumbled over the rails falling to his knees and hitting both them and his hands open on the gravel.

“Are you okay?” Pierce asked fearfully a few seconds later having located his friends a few yards of on his hands and knees.

Harry took several deep breaths before he wiped his eyes with the back of his hands, ignoring the mean sting in his hands, the throb in his knees, he got back up.

“Yes, I’m fine, let’s walk by the rails for a few minutes, we should get to a station at some point, and then we can check how much a ticket to Scotland costs. If need be then we’ll just buy a small ticket and ride the rest hiding in the restroom or so.”

“You think that’ll work?”

“Yes, I saw people do that in the telly, and no matter even if we buy tickets, its important that we get as far away as possible. Even if my uncle didn’t inform the police, the teachers will have surely begun to notice now.”

“They’ll just make up a story, like that you are ill or moved away, I know that my stepfather will!” pierce growled, trying to mask the hurt with anger.

It was only another hour later, with the sun slowly beginning to come up that Harry and Pierce were barely able to take another step. Both their feet were already painfully sore and blistered and thus it didn’t take much talking for both of them to agree that perhaps it was best to hide away and rest for a few hours and continue when they both got enough sleep.

Harry didn’t say a word when Pierce wrapped his hands tightly around him again, like he had done after the third night on the road, the close contact keeping the both of them warm and keeping the nightmares away. It was only though when the boys breathing from behind him evened out that he finally restlessly found some sleep as well.

Pierce was first to wake up, his eyes smudged closed by the sand, body stiff from sleeping on the ground, in the cold. The sun was up high now, and it was considerably warmer. He didn’t move as he felt his friends even breath calm against his chest, that was until he heard the sharp whistle of another train, and he urged himself to sit up, startling the other boy somewhat, who then dazedly sat up again.

“That doesn’t sound to fast, maybe we can run up and jump onto a trailer?” Harry said, glancing around a large tree, eyes finding the engine maybe half a mile away.

“You really think that that is a good idea?”

“Its better than walking Pierce, we barely made it far enough to get out of London yet.”

“I told you we should have bought a map, we must have been taking the worst detours!”

“Neither of us know how to read the map,” Harry observed eyes straining to make out the speed of the moving freight train.

“There’s gotta be a wagon we can jump into,” he said urgently getting up and making sure the letter and the rest of his change were in his pockets.

Pierce swallowed the rest of his fears and complaints and got up with his friend, biting his lower lip when the boy made a sound of approval.

“Look, it’s really slow, but still much faster than either of us could walk,” harry observed, and true to his word the train was moving at a snails pace if one considered that it was a train.

“Yeah, that seems slow enough,” Pierce gave in sighing.

“Are you sure it goes in the right direction though?”

“Well it does go towards Scotland. And there’s gotta be a station coming up. We can get up at the next station if you want, and make sure.”

“Okay,” Pierce said quickly, adrenaline of the building excitement catching him also.

Both boys stood behind the train watching the heavy engine pass them by, Harry unconscieously counting the wagons as he looked down the seemingly endless line of wagons to find one that was easier to climb.

“Look, those seem easy to climb, and that one is all open, if we grab the ladder and pull ourselves up everything is good.” Harry said pointing down ten or fifteen trailers ahead. Pierce pulled all his courage together before he nodded, chasing after his friend when he broke away from the tree running straight towards the track, watching with wide eyes, lungs almost cramping with the pace he was putting out when his friend grabbed the metal rail and then swung himself onto the wooden platform with so much force he nearly fell flat on his face.  The train was much faster close up, and Pierce began doubting that he was able to make it, panicked eyes flew to his greeneyed friend.

“Come on, it’s easy, I’ll help you!” Harry screamed over the roar of the train, extending an arm, which Pierce immediately grabbed, before stretching out his other hand as well, holding onto the train as he put the most effort into his spring, catching up with the handle and then swinging himself up, much like Harry had before, tumbling onto his friend, screaming with joy and the excitement and relief of having made it.

“YES!” Harry cried out as well, highfiving his friend when both of them had finally sat up.

“So, this was much faster than it looked,” Pierce said grinning at his friend rubbing his hands against his thighs as he sat crosslegged next to the large freight boxes.

“Yeah, to bad we didn’t get a train that transports something to drink,” he said, licking his dried out lips.

“We have a snack left,” pierce said carefully pulling the crumbled chocolate bar from his pocket.

“No, we only just ate last night, let’s keep that until we are really hungry,” Harry said determinetly, even though his mouth was watering like crazy at the brown wrapper, promising rich sweetness!

“It says we need a wand,” Pierce laughed pointing out the shopping list to his friend as both sat on the edge of the trailer, legs dangling looking at the list, which was slightly bristled by the wind.

“And couldrons,” Harry burst out laughing pointing at the next lines. They continued like this, wondering at some of the book titles.

“Do you really think someone can make this up?”

“Well, someone made up starwars,” Harry observed though there was doubt in his voice.

“Yes, but with the seal? Isn’t this really official? I thought only the queen still used those,” Pierce said turning the envelope around to look at the red wax seal again.

“Well, everyone can melt wax,” Harry said yawning.

“How much could it hurt if we layed down to get some rest?”

“We could fall off!”

“We’ll just lay like this, just further back. We’d have to role across the entire wagon to fall down.” Harry said looking at the wagon.

“We could just close the door as well,” Pierce said softly glancing at the heavy door.

“Yeah, but what if we can’t get it to open again, and we need the oxygen as well, and this way we can see if we slow down.”

“That’s when we have to get off, right?”

Harry nodded, before laying back, closing his eyes.

“Just a short nap,” he sighed but was already nodding off.

Pierce sat rigid for another hour or so, he had never done anything so dangerours, so daring. What if they got caught and send back home. What if they would fall of and break their arm or leg? What if they rode in the wrong direction and would end up near surrey again?

Just when he thought about laying down to sleep a bit as well, to cuddle up to his new best friend, that he saw a city come up. New fear raced through his body, what if they were seen? And the train was stopped? What if they got off to late?

He shook his friends shoulder, startling him awake effectively.

“What city is that?” Pierce asked, voice small, fearing that someone might hear them over the noise.

“I don’t know, is there a sign anywhere?”

Pierce strained his better eyes, leaning forward as far as he dared, the cold air wipping around his ears and hair.

“No, but we are slowing down, aren’t we?”

“Yes,” Harry breathed, excitement in his voice.

“Should we get off?”

“No, it’s still to fast, let’s get off when it’s not that fast anymore, so we don’t fall and get hurt,” Harry said, hands trembling as he scooted closer to the edge, looking at the ground and then at a closing in building. They sat for almost two minutes in absolute silence, both jumping when the train blew it’s horn.

“I’m really hungry,” Pierce sat pulling out the candy bar he unwrapped it and then broke it into half, handing his friend the even other side before stuffing it into his mouth.

“Thanks,” Harry said as he slowly nibbled on his, eyes still on the ground.

“It’s picking up speed again, we either  jump now or stay on,” he finally said noticing that the ground seemed to be moving faster edging even closer to the end of the trailer.

“Okay, lets get off, we can catch the next train.” Pierce said, but his eyes were full of doubt as he looked at the quickly moving ground.

 Harry however seemed to fear nothing as he without another word, lept of the train, landing on both his feet before stumbling with the force of his exit, falling to his knees and then nearly rolling over. Pierce looked at his friend horrorfied as the distance between the two seemed to become greater even faster. Harry yelled something, which Pierce didn’t understand, but he was pretty sure that his friend urged him to jump, so without another chance to let his fear hinder him he jumped off, in much the same fashion as his friend had, feet giving in with the force, knees crashing into the larger stones, hitting his knees open, his hands scratching over the rough stones. But he knew before he even got up, that he was okay, that he didn’t get seriously hurt. Even though his body was aching, and he was frightened and relieved at the same time, he fought his tears, much like he had all his life as he stood up straight and glanced at his red scraped hands.

“You okay?” Harry asked as he quickly ran towards him, his own jeans ripped at his knees, quickly dampening in a reddish color.

“Yeah, just a little scratched, you?” He asked, glancing the quickly growing stain of blood.

“Yeah, just a little blood. Everythings cool,” He said before glancing at the town.

“Okay, we just have to check the station, it’ll tell all we need to know.” Harry said taking a few steps towards the station.

“We have to get cleaned up first, if anyone sees us like this, then they will call the police,” Pierce objected.

“There is no gasstation here,” Harry said glancing around.

“Maybe the church?” Pierce asked, remembering the movies on the telly he got to watch, remembering that the churches always had clothes to spare, and food to spare.

“What if they call someone?”

“The priests aren’t allowed to tell anyone,” Pierce said walking towards the city.

“IT’s the middle of the day, other people might see us before we get to the church, and we have to be in school.”

“Let’s just make sure no one sees us then, besides I need to take a dump,” Pierce said laughing at his friend when he made a face of discust.

“How can you take a dump when we barely ate anything?” Harry groaned but walked after his friend who was walking by the walls of buildings always glancing around, looking around corners, something Harry found very funny. He looked like some secret mission agent.

They had to hide away behind a dumpster once when a car drove by, but other than that they basically had a clear walk to the church.

“There, I see it,” Pierce hissed as the church tower came into view, pressing himself and his friend into a little alley, eyes on the clocktower.

“What if there is a service?” Harry asked, nibbling his bottom lip.

“You jump onto a moving train without any fears, but you are afraid of walking into a church?”

Harry stuffed his trembling hands into his jeans, his uncles hateful words floating back to his mind.

“They said I wasn’t allowed to go to church,” Harry whispered and Pierce frowned at him.

“Why?”

“They said freaks weren’t allowed in Gods house,” Harry said tongue heavy in his mouth.

“And we know that everything they ever said was true, right? Come on Harry, it’s church, they are supposed to help,” Pierce said, sounding sure, but inside he wasn’t that sure anymore. Yes, even his stepfather had said that he was a freak, a good for nothing, maybe they weren’t allowed in church?

“Okay, but if the priest even suggests calling someone, then we are out of there, yes?”

“Yes, maybe they have a shower,” he said wistfully glancing at the heavy old stones.

“I’d be surprised if they have running water here,” Harry said laughing, glancing around, slightly caught of guard when Pierce all of a sudden jumped from his side, sprinting over the street at a pace he had never before seen the boy run. He dashed after him in a split of a second, rubbing his hands against each other once more when they stood by the side of the church.

“Maybe there is another entrance?” Pierce asked, before he began walking around the church, almost yipping with joy when he saw another door, before sighing. It was locked.

“Front doors then?”

But those were locked also.

” Maybe there is a door on this side,” Harry said walking around the other side of the church, but there was no door. They walked further, standing at the back of the church a few seconds later, both sitting down, leaning against the sunwarmed stones, examining their hands, Harry pulling up his jeans to look at the cuts and scrapes, one cut still oozing blood dangerously.

“Hey you two- Oh no, no you don’t,” a dark man said, as he quickly caught one by the shoulder as he tried to dash away, shaking the blackhaired boy softly to get him to stop wailing for his friend, who was halfway across the little prairie before he turned around, dismayed of finding that his friend was caught. Pierce stood, breathing heavy, hands shaking once more as he looked back towards the black man who was holding his fighting best friend by the shoulders.

HE waited for about a minute, the words which his friend was yelling not audible before he walked back a few yards, closing in enough to hear the shouting more clearly.

“LET GO!” Harry screeched, scratching at the hand that was holding his shoulder painfully tight, panic cursing through his body.

“Stop this,” the man said, shaking him once more, eyes on the other boy who had come back close enough to hear him talk.

“Why aren’t you in school, hm? And what were you trying to do, breaking into my church?”

“your church, sir?”

“Yes,” Father Brennan said, surprised when a look a relief washed over the blond boys face.

“Do you have any clothes for us?”

“What?” Josiah asked, frown on his face.

“Like the other churches, do you have clothes, and warm soups?” Josiah was slightly taken aback by the hope in the boys voice, the longing.

“Um, yes sure. I got some soup, god, stop this!” He finally snapped at the boy who was still pulling against his hand, knowing full well that if he let go, the blackhaired boy would take off, and the blonde was sure to follow.

“Here, follow me to the office.” He said turning his back on the blonde and pulling the blackhaired child with him, knowing that if he took one, the other would follow. The blonde only seemed to hesitate shortly before he followed the black man towards a small brick building lined up against the church.

Father Brennan didn’t let go of the boy until he had closed the door behind the two boys and turned the key, pulling it and stuffing it into his jacket, an act that didn’t go unnoticed by the boys, which he had hoped.

“Just so you don’t take off until you have showered, dressed and eaten.” Father Brennan explained when Pierce pulled at the handle a look of panic on his face.

“We don’t like being locked in,” Harry said glaring at the man who had only now let go of his shoulder.

“Well I don’t like chasing after two little boys, and I don’t like it to see two little hungry dirty boys. Now, who takes the first shower?” He asked, poiting towards a door, a door leading to his private rooms.

“We don’t split up, ever.” Harry said again glancing shortly at Pierce.

“Okay, you can take one together then, saves me water that way.” Josiah said, sounding unbothered as he led the way into his private quarters. “But that way you should take a bath first, you are really dirty.” He walked them towards the bathroom.

“There, strip,” he said as he pulled out four towels, two large and two smaller ones, not missing the look the two boys threw each other before finding a silent agreement, stripping down to their dirty stiff underwear.

“I trust the two of you can wash yourselfes? Get into the water and scrub real good. I’ll in the mean time go and find you some clean clothes in your size.” Josiah explained and before either boy could protest he grabbed their clothes from the ground.

“And I’ll wash these, no sense in throwing them away, even though they sure are garbage now,” he said almost pulling a face at the smell of them.

“And we’ll get food, right?”

“Yes, you’ll be fed as well,” Josia said a small smile on his face.

“You can’t tell anyone though, right? You gotta keep this a secret, right?”

“Well, I can’t tell anyone anything about what you tell me,” Josia rephrased, knowing what the boy was playing at, and hoping to keep them calm at least until he was able to call some services. But first it was time to get them clothed and fed.

He quickly relocked the door behind himself as he left his house, hurrying towards Mrs. Fishers house, a resident of Locksmith, the village who had had four boys, and he really hoped that she still had clothes that might fit the boys.

“Reverrent, what can I do for you?”

“Do you happen to have any clothes for nine or ten year olds?” He asked quickly and caused the woman to quirk an eyebrow at his request.

“You know I do, James had grown out of them long ago, and they are still too good to throw away, why, if I may ask?”

“I got two runaways in my house, taking a bath right now. They came to me, asking if I had soup and clothes,” he said frowning. “They must have seen this happen on the telly,” he added as an afterthought, considering the last question the blond had asked.

“Two nine year olds?”

“Yes, around that age. I can’t really tell, they were really dirty, and haven’t washed in weeks it appears.”

“You think they are from around here?” Mary asked as she led him towards a small storage room pulling out a few containers holding clothes.

“They don’t smell,” she noticed as she lifted a few sweaters to her face inhaling.

“Good, though I don’t think they’d notice much now. Any underwear?”

He left four minutes later, two pairs of jeans, underwear, socks, shoes, shirts, jackets and belts. He hoped his eye wasn’t totally off, but he assumed that most of them would fit at least a little.

When he got back to his office both boys were still in the bathtub, giggling every once in a while at something the other said. He had the clothes laying on the table as he quickly began preparing some light food, soup and some chicken, some potatoes and tea. Both of them had been way underweight and the faint bruises and welts on their chest and thighs had screamed abuse. He had never really dealt with abused children and felt at a loss for what to do. When he was sure that the food wouldn’t burn for a few minutes he walked towards the bathroom and knocked.

“I’ll be coming in, you can turn your backs if you wish,” he said before he slowly pushed the door open.

“There’s clean clothes on the toilet, and two new toothbrushed by the sink. I have the food warming up now and it should be done in a few minutes, so as soon as you have washed and gotten dressed you can come out.” He said softly eyes on both boys backs who were bruised severely.

“May I ask where you are heading to?”

“Scotland, sir,” Pierce said.

“You are in Scotland, where exactly?”

“We are going to Mr. Snape,” Harry said softly, though it was evident in his voice that he would say no more.

With only the few words the boys had spoken Josia had figured out that the blackhaired boy was more careful around him, more afraid, more fearful.

“Does Mr. Snape have a first name?”

Pierce turned slightly eyes on the man.

“Why do you know one?”

“No, but I could help finding him for you,” Josiah offered offering a small reassuring smile, which went totally unnoticed by the boy who turned back around.

“We don’t need any help,” the blackhaired boy said voice cold.

“Okay, just finsh washing up and get dressed so you can get some food into your system.

It was another ten minutes until the boys emereged from the bathroom, walking so close by each other that their shoulders and hips continuously bumped into each other.

“Food is almost ready,” Josiah said. “You can help setting the table, I already pulled out the plates and silverwear and glasses, they are right there on the counter, the table is around the corner right there,” he said. He normally never ate at the table, he ate on the little stool right by the corner, but as they were three he had to make use of that sturdy wooden thing.

Harry immediately grabbed the plates and silverwear, as if it was second nature to him to help out, Josia noticed, while the blonde boy hesitated before fallowing his friend. Josiah quickly pulled the peas from the microwave and gave them a final stir before he carried both the plate with the chicken, the bowl with the peas to the table.

“There is some juice or milk in the fridge,” he said to which again the black haired boy reacted immediately following him into the kitchen on silent feet, pulling the juice and milk from the shelf and carefully closing the door behind himself walking back towards the table with him as he carried the bowls with soup and the potatoes on a little tray.

“There, dig in, but eat slowly so you don’t get sick, I know you are hungry, but if you shovel it down it’ll come right back up,” he said remembering his fasting.

And the boys headed, carefully spooning the hot soup into his mouth. He filled their plates with the potatoes peas and chicken, making sure not to put down to much.

While the three of them ate in uncomfortable silence his head was swimming, thuoghts cursing around like crazy, trying to figure out what best to do.

“If you want you can crash here tonight,” he offered pointing towards the couch behind himself.

“We gotta keep going,” Pierce said even as he covered a yawn behind his hand.

“To where?”

“Edinburgh,” Pierce said before yelping, one hand rushing under the table to rubbing his shin and his eyes falling on the blackhaired child.

“He can’t tell anyone,” Pierce defended himself, accusatory eyes on the blackhaired boy.

“Still, the less  the better,” Harry said thin lipped.

“Your friend is right, I can not tell anybody what you tell me here,” Josiah said softly, “and maybe I can help.”

“you won’t, you are an adult and the right thing you think you have to do is call the police or the services so they can bring us back,” Harry replied, stabbing at his peas angrily.

“If you tell me where you are going and where I can find that someone, then I will help you get to that person, that way I don’t have to inform anyone,” Josiah said and then watched when Pierce and Harry exchanged a look.

“His name is Snape, he is a Professor at a school, my cousin, he goes to that school and mentioned him in a letter. We don’t know what the school is called, or where it is, but if we can find that snape, then we can find my cousin.”

“Snape?” Josia asked, head swirling, that was not much to go by. Snape, he thought.

“Yes,” Pierce said, not much hope in his voice either.

“And it is in Scotland?”

“that’s what my cousin said,” Pierce said.

“Is it a boarding school, or a public school?”

“A boarding school, he stays there all year and comes home only for the summer break, sometimes during the Christmas break, but not often.” Pierce offered, hoping deep down that the man would have the answers.

“And you can’t remember at all what the school is called?”

“No, my cousin never said, he said it was a secret school for children who were gifted.” Pierce said softly.

“Is your cousin really good and something then, like maths? Or colouring?” Josiah asked, the secret school throwing up warning signals in his head.

“I don’t know, he never said anything about that,” Pierce said, fisting his hands angrily under the table. The blackhaired boy was silent.

“well, I will go and check the registers, and we can look at every Snape there is in Scotland, every male Snape.”

The boys were fast asleep on the couch two horus later as he sat with three thick books going through one register after the other, having written out 41 numbers of Snapes that lived in the near area. He had called around thirty by now, asking to be connected to Mr. Snape the teacher- where most men had simply denied rather quickly that they were teachers.

Two hadn’t answered at all, and those names he had circled with red, if the man was indeed teaching at a boarding school then he didn’t expect them to pick up the phone anyway.

It was only after he had covered the boys in a thick blanket and pulled off their shoes, hiding them in his bedroom did he dare to leave the house, locking the front door once more.

“Mrs Clearwater,” he greeted as he stood in front of the newest resident of their village offering a small smile as she eyes him warily.

“Mr. Brennan, how can I help you?”

“I have a little situation and wondered if you could help me?”

“I will try,” the red haired woman offered before opening the door wider inviting him into her house.

“What is the situation then?”

“I need to find a teacher, that teaches at a boarding school, and his name is Snape. That is all I know, I don’t even know which school, or in what country really, I am guessing.”

“Boarding school?”

“Yes, you always seem to find out things fast, everyone comes to you when they have questions and now it’s my turn I fear.”

“Sure, well, I am going to look into the matter, is there anything else you know?”

“It’s a school for the gifted, as far as I understood, but those aren’t certain facts, some of this could be utter nonsense.”

“Yes, well I’ll look for any boarding schools that have a Mr. Snape employed, should I drop by your office when I know more?”

“Yes, or just give me a call.”

“Oh you know I don’t use telephones,” Mrs. Clearwater laughed getting back up after having written down the few details the man had provided head spinning. She knew of one Mr. Snape that taught at a boarding school, a school for the gifted, that was true.

“How much time do I have?”

“The quicker the better, thank you so much Mrs. Clearwater,” the man said earnestly as he stood by the door, nodding in goodbye as well when Mrs. Clearwater waved it off and closed the door after offering a small nod.

He was back before either of the boys had woken up and sat down in his armchair again, picking up his phone to call another twenty or thirty Snapes, receiving more denies then he ever thought possible.

It was only after another hour of hearing things like “Well I am a teacher, but I don’t teach at a boarding school,” or “no, you have to have the wrong number,” or “who are you? No, not a teacher, bye.” That he finally just looked up the schools in the registers and began calling every single Boarding school in the country, asking for a Mr. Snape. While the name in itself wasn’t rare, there was only one boarding school with a Snape, but that Snape was a female.

He was ready to pull out his hair by the time there was a subtle knock at the door. “Please tell me you found something, I called twenty boarding schools and every snape household in Scotland,” he sighed when he saw the redhead standing in his doorway a little notepad in hand.

“Yes, I was able to reach a friend who indeed knew a Snape that teaches in a boarding house for the specially gifted.” She laughed at his stressed face.

“Oh thank god, how can I reach him?”

“That is where it get’s complicated. You can’t really call the school, they are the ones that call,” she laughed again at his confused face.

“but I was able to pull some favors and my friend offered to contact him for us if we could provide more detail as to why we need him.”

“I can’t you know that,” Josiah said, looking over his shoulder shortly towards the two boys that were slumbering peacefully.

“She needs something, or this won’t work.”

“I have guests that are looking for him, little boys,” he said softly, “and they have run a long way to find him, and I promised to help them. If that Snape doesn’t come to collect them, then I will have to call services and we all know how that goes.”

“They’ll be brought back home,” Mrs. Clearwater said softly, “and you are sure that that would be a bad thing?”

“I saw them shirtless,” Josiah said under his breath, scratching at this prickly face.

“Okay, that should be enough,” Mrs. Clearwater said with a clear shudder, she shook her head shortly.

“I will ask my friend to arrange for Mister Snape to contact you as soon as possible.” She said before turning around and walking away as quick as possible.

When Harry woke he immediately shook his friend awake, who mumbled sleepily. Harry glanced around in the remote dark. The two of them were laying on the couch and just as he frowned, did everything come rushing back to him.

They had jumped a train, ridden it and then ended up ehre, where they had washed, dressed and eaten. He glanced around nervously, it had to be the middle of the night, and he was still really tired. So if the man had not called the police yet, then he didn’t expect the man to do so until at least the morning. And they could still run then, after a good breakfast perhaps, he hoped, leaning back down and closing his eyes, hoping to fall into calm, nighmare free sleep.

Josiah woke when he heard the mumbled conversation of the two child voices from right in front of his bedroom door, reaching over he turned on his bedroom light and sat up, straining his ears to listen in.

“He has to have them,” Pierce hissed glaring at his friend.

“Maybe they are still in the jeans, where did he put them?

“I don’t know, but we need them, did you check the bathroom really good?”

“Yes, everywhere, even the garbage can, and they aren’t there.”

Josiah got up quietly and grabbed the shoes and the boys clothes which had dried just before he had gone to bed, he refolded them quickly before placing the two blank envolopes and pieces of paper on top.

“No need to get all excited,” he said quietly as he pulled the door open slowly, handing the pile of clothes to the blackhaired kid who had startled quite hard when he had emerged from his room.

“There, that’s all yours. I must say I am surprised that you are awake already, you looked near dead yesterday, are you hungry?” He asked, hoping to keep his voice calm, not giving away any of the stress he felt. He moved towards the kitchen, not saying a word when he noticed both boys staring at the blank papers before stuffing them once more into their backpockets, and then putting on their shoes.

They had seemed very reliefed when he had given them the papers and envelopes, maybe they really were planning to contact that Snape, or their cousin? How important was it to them, if they got so riled up over loosing those? But there had beensomething about the way they looked at the letter that almost gave him the chills, it almost seemed as if they were reading…

“Eggs and sausages? Bacon too?” He asked as he turned on the fire under the stove, watching as the butter slowly melted.

“Did you find out anything, sir?” Pierce asked as the three of them sat around the table quietly, nibbling at their last strips of bacon.

“Yes, I had an acquaintance looking for him, and she found him, she will now contact him and he will reach out to us.”

“Wait, you could just tell us where and we will go find him,” Pierce exclaimed, alarm in his voice.

“I had asked for that as well, but apparently this school, that your cousin goes to, is really a school for the specially gifted and they can not be contacted easily. They contact you, not the other way around. Luckily my acquaintance was able to arrange for someone to inform this man about the situation, so he will reach out to us.”

“He will come here?”

“He might just call, or write,  I don’t know, but that was the best I could do for now.”

“but this could take hours, or days!” Harry said anger in his voice, as he put down his mug and got up.

“We don’t have that much time, where is that school?”

“I don’t know,” Josiah said, frowning at the rude little boy who was quickly reddening in anger.

“Well, thank you for your help, and the clothes and the food, but we have to continue now.”

“Wait, if you leave now, and MR. Snape calls, what do you want me to tell him, hm? That he was to late, and that the two desperate boys that were looking for him had left already? That I had no clue where to?”

“Yes, something like that. You can tell him that we are on our way to edinburough.” Harry growled. Something was off here, the man was buying time. A school that contacted you, not the other way around? He was not stupid!  If the man had called the police and was now trying to keep them calm until they arrived then he was kidding himself, he would not be returned to his uncles house!

“Okay, I won’t force you to stay, but I must insist that you come with me first and meet my friend who was able to reach that teacher. Maybe she can provide more answers to you. People here say that she can get every information for you. That she has special ways to finding people. So please, give her one more chance, I don’t think it’s a good idea for the two of you to continue on foot. And I promise you, that if she can arrange for a meeting somewhere, then I will pay for your trainticket,” Josiah said quickly walking towards the door and holding it closed with one hand even as the green eyes boy pulled against it with surprising strength.

“Harry, come on. Let’s try, there is nothing to loose. And maybe she’ll be able to tell us where to go. We could be running in the wrong direction for all we know right now.” Pierce finally said, something in his voice that made the other boy stop fighting for a few seconds.

“What if he called someone?”

“Then we run fast, we are quick runners.”

“Mrs. Clearwater?” Josiah said softly when the woman pulled the door open slightly frowning out at them, still in her nightgown.

“Yes? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“It’s almost nine, the two boys, I told you about? They would like to ask you a question, I have told them that everybody relies on you here, for finding answers, and they agreed to give you a try before they ran on.” Josiah said, hoping the woman would get the message, hoping that she would figure out that he was only stalling.

“Oh my, alright, you two, come on, come in. Forgive me, but I need to get changed first, I’ll drop them off later, yes?”

“Oh yes, sure ma’am, thank you.” Josiah said, stepping back as she ushered the two boys inside who all of a sudden didn’t seem as sure of themselfes anymore as they had when they had walked down the street, throwing a worried glance back at him, before the heavy door snapped shut smartly, leaving him standing alone in the chilly morning air.

Snape frowned at Penelope who stood by his side, travelers cloak around her shoulders glancing at him expectantly.

“Miss Clearwater, while I appreciate that you relayed your mothers message, and I have said that I would follow up, I had hoped that you realized that you couldn’t come with. Your mother did not ask for you to come home, nor did she write consent. You are expected to take part in your classes.”

“But what if it’s about me?”

“Nothing of the sort was said, as you well know. And even if it was, had your mother wanted you to come with, then she would have said so. And now I am done discussing. Please do leave my office now,” Snape said, hoping that he sounded as kind as he possibly could. There was no need to have a teary eyed hufflepuff in his office. He was not good with tears and had no desire to escort the young lady to the hospital wing.

“Whatever!” Penny cried out before turning around, ripping the door open and slamming it close again right behind her. Snape sighed, fourteen year olds were so emotional, especially girls. Why was he teaching again? He was more than thankful that it was only a few more days until school was finally out, a few more days until he could go back to his normal everyday life. A few more days until he had to start worrying about how to go about this entire Voldemort-Potter problem that he knew would start up as soon as Potter would come to school. He had already spoken to the Headmaster and threatened with quitting  if he would hire either Quirrel of Lockheart!

He straightened his cloak and eyed the little role of parchment in his hand once more, before sighing. Since when did he make housecalls?

The three of them had just sat down with a mug of tea when Pierce suddenly pulled the Hogwarts letter from his back pocket.

“Can you find out what kind of a joke this is?” He asked, handing her first the envelope and then the letter. Harry held his breath when he watched the woman taking the letter, a look of recognition and amusement on her face.

“I know what this is, and young men, this is by no means a joke,” she said smiling.

“This means, that you were accepted into the school, into Hogwarts.”

“Really?” Harry asked, breath getting stuck in his throat.

“Yes, Mr. Potter,” she said eying him warmly eyes flicking to his fringe shortly.

“How do you know my name?” Harry asked, eyes wide open, even as a hand went up to scratch at his forehead at her stare.

“That is a rather long story,” a different voice cut in, making all three of them jump, making both boys stand rigid, ready to run.

“Professor Snape, what a pleasure, please have a seat.” Severus stood a few seconds, eyes taking in the blackhaired boy, a boy he hadn’t seen in nearly two months, last time he had seen him was when he had died, at the hands of Voldemort, being slayed by nagini, when he had given the boy his last memories.

“Thank you Mrs. Clearwater, please boys have a seat,” he said giving the two boys a clear look, slightly confused as to who the other boy was. He had honestly never seem him before! And never heard of him before.  He had certainly never joined Hogwarts!

“I am Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, now I was told that the two of you were looking for me?” He asked, eyeing first Potter and then the blond.

“Uh, yes, we, well my cousin goes to your school.”

“Who is your cousin?”

“Terrance Rodgers, sir.”

For a brief moment Snape thought, for a simple second, he hoped that this would be simple, that perhaps the boy had  instead joined Merlin Academy, Pounters, or Beauxbottons, even Durmstrang, that was, until the name rang a bell and a memory came flooding back to him. Eight years ago, shortly before Potters first year and just before the summer break he had a student in his year who had to be excused early because of a homicide in the family. The boy Terrance had lost was his young cousin, a boy he had been very attached to, who had been beaten to death by his own stepfather after the boy had accidentally silenced the man magically.

He nearly felt sick as he regarded the blonde boy, knowing more of the boys future than he dared to know, knowing more of the circumstances he grew up in than he somehow cared to know. But now, with Potter and him obviously being friends, this changed something, this made the boy almost equally as important.

“So you are Pierce Rodgers?” He asked softly brain working at high speed to regain the memory of that terrible incident.

“Yes, how do you know?”

“I know many things, but that is not important now. What is important right now though is wether you are willing to tell me why you ran from your families to find your cousin through me, or not.”

“We just need to find him, he’ll know what to do.”

“Your cousin is in school, in a very important year, he is right now having his final exams, I can not allow you to cause him any stress. And even if I would take you to him, it would not change the fact that you are two ten year old boys away from home, with two families who are possibly frantic with searching for you,” lying had always come naturally to him, growing up being beaten by his father for wrong answers, had taught him quick to read emotions, to figure out what the other wanted to hear and say exactly that, or in this case, the exact opposite.

“Well, when are his final exams over?” Harry asked, pursing his lips somewhat.

“That is of no relevance at this moment. Now, you can either decide to tell me what you want of him, or I will turn around and walk back out through those doors, and if I do, young men, then I can promise you that I will not be coming back.”

Harry glanced at Pierce who had a panicked look in his eyes, only intensifying when Snape reached for his cloak again.

“He knows what to do, he always knows. And he promised he would take care of me, he promised.” Pierce said forcefully and with that Snape understood, no wonder the boy had nearly killed himself with guilt so many years ago. The boy had been a straight O student, saving every single penny, making plans for a future for two, and he had never bothered to ask?

“He is seventeen and in his finals right now, now you can either tell me as much as I need to know, or I will call child services this minute and have you picked up, I am a busy man, and I do not usually play games.”

Harry got up immediately and it did not surprise him, Harry apparently didn’t know what exactly they were planning here anyway, but he was ready to live in the streets before going back to his family, and he would not let Pierce go back no matter what. Well, he would also not let Harry go back, there was no way. He had seen way to much in the boys memories while unsuccessfully trying to teach him Occlumency. He was just surprised that things had changed now. When he had been sent back in time, he had expected for things to work out the same way, for things to just move around the same way.

Little did he know, that with everything he did differently this time around, everything would change. Eight years ago he had gotten into a fight with Terrance Rodgers for a very poor choice of words in his office and threatened him with a serious of detentions as well as revoking his lab sessions, valuable lab sessions as the boy brewed potions which he then sold to different apothecaries and thus earning a little money. That fight had caused for the boy to write to his cousin, telling his cousin that things were not good for him at the moment, but that he missed him and that he would do whatever he could to take of him, to get him out of that hell.

This letter had evoked a series of letters, the stepfather becoming wary of the change in his stepsons behavior keeping an eye out for the letters in the mail and then in the beginning of june finally intercepting one and reading his nephiews letter addressed to Pierce, stating that he would save him, and not forget about him, that the boy was a strong boy, that he didn’t deserve the beatings and shouldn’t ever believe it. This letter angered the man so much that he went to teach his son a lesson of loyaltie.

With Snape simply offering to tutor the boy this time around instead of dressing him down and making him a miserable mess, the boy had written a more cheerful letter to his cousin, promising to come to visit during the summer, promising to stay friends, promising to take care of him.

Encouraging his cousin to talk to authorities, to talk to the teachers, to go to the police.

Which the boy had done, he had spoken to the police who had driven him home to confront the father with it, who had admitted to giving the boy a spanking for his poor performance in school, claiming that the ten year old was overreacting to his first spanking. Pierce had naturally not defended himself in front of his stepfather and thus the police had left him there to figure things out with his stepfather.

The moment the police had left with the promise of returning the next day to check if things had smoothed over, Pierce really received his first ever over the knee spanking, a spanking that nearly broke his tailbone and left him bruised, blistered and screaming for the entire night.

The next day he had been very apologetic towards the police, explaining that he truly must have overreacted, doing all that standing up, leaning against the counter, keeping a straight face even though his lower back and bottom were throbbing with excruciating pain.

He ran the same night, running until he could no more, he found a shed to sleep in, and was found the next morning by a black haired boy with two black eyes and a bloody nose.

Something as little as a soothing talk had made such a big difference, and while Severus Snape did not realize just how much of a difference this little talk had made, he certainly knew that something had made a difference, and he knew that that something had safed the life of a young bright blonde boy.

“Come on Pierce, let’s go, we’ll find him without their help,” Harry whispered towards the still sitting boy.

“Can you take us to him?” Pierce asked instead and Snape hesitated.

“I could take you to him, yes. But I will need answers first.”

“I want to see him first,” Pierce immediately said, crossing his arms over his chest, not looking away even when Snape gave him his fiercest glower, a glower which made Potter sit down nearly immediately and avert his gaze.

“Very well, I will take both of you with me, you Pierce may go see your cousin for a few minutes, I will keep your friend with me however, to make sure that you return to me, and if you don’t then I will hand him over to child services and then hunt you down, and if I get you Pierce, there’ll be hell to pay, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Pierce immediately agreed, not noticing the look of panic that flew over his new friends face.

“I don’t want to do that,” Harry finally spoke up when Mrs. Clearwater handed Pierce the paper back, obviously thinking the three would leave and she could have her house back to herself.

“You have little choice, either that or child services, neither of you decided to be honest with me here and give me some detail, so that’s all you’ll be getting.”

Harry looked at his friend wistfully.

“You gonna come back to get me, right?”

“Yes, mate, I just want to make sure that he really has him, you know?” Pierce said quickly, sealing his prmise with his eyes, big wide eyed promising eyes.

“Thank you Mrs. Clearwater, your daughter asks to extend her greetings,” Severus said the moment the boys finally stood up.

“No thank you for coming Professor Snape, but before you go, I would advice you to stop at the preachers office, so the boys can gather their things and he can rest assured that they didn’t run but instead found the teacher they were looking for.”

Snape pressed his lips thinly together. When he had come out here, he had hoped that this entire thing was a joke, the only reason he came in the first place was because Mrs Clearwater  reasoned that one of the boys might be Mr. Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the conquerer of the dark Lord.

“Thank you, Reverent Brennan, for taking such excellent care,” Severus said shaking the black mans hand strongly even as the boy picked up their clothes from the chairs by the little diningroom table.

“Oh, either that or call the services, and we all know how that goes. I figured the boys had reason to run, and I would be the last to send them back, so thank you for coming and picking them up. They were very focused on you, and must have run miles to find anyone with the last name Snape.”

“Yes, Pierces cousin must have mentioned me in one of his letters, I am the boys Homeroom teacher. I’ll take them to the school with me for now, where they can see Pierces cousin, and we’ll then go from there.”

“Yes, if there is ever anything you need help with, then you know how to reach me, I’ll help where I can.”

“Thank you, you helped already. Alright boys, gather your things, I need to get back to teaching,” Snape said sternly causing both boys to almost drop their already gathered things to hurry to his sides, mumbling quickly to each other.

 Snape knew that he would have to travel back the muggle way, both boys had no clue about magic, and he would need at least a few hours to get them acquainted with the idea that magic really did exist so they wouldn’t die of shock once they arrived in Hogwarts.

“The trainstation was right this way, yes?”

“Yes, we are a rather small village though, there’s only one train a day, I can give you a lift to the major trainstation if you like,” Father Brennan said and after a little consideration Snape agreed.

“So we are taking a train back to London, to then take a train back to Scotland? That seems really senseless sir,” Pierce said as they boarded the express train to London after they had said goodbye to the Pastor, promising to be good and to listen to the man dressed all in black.

“It’s what we have to do. There is only one train that drives to the school we are going to, and that train only leaves from Kings cross, now stop this annoying babbling and sit down,” Snape nearly snapped when he finally found an empty compartment.

 Harry had been silent since his little outburst in Mrs. Clearwaters house and even now simply sat staring at Snape whenever the man was not looking and then having a thoughtful look on his face.

“Mr. Potter, do speak up, please.” Snape finally sighed when after twenty minutes of catching the boy secretly looking at him he lost every little ounce of patience, patience that was very limited as it was.

“How did you know my name?”

“You are Harry James Potter, are you not?”

“Yes, sir. But how did you know? And Mrs. Clearwater?”

“Both of you, empty your pockets, right here, on the table, everything you own.” He said after a few seconds of consideration. The both of them should have received their letters by now, and that would make it so much easier, some common ground to start from.

It didn’t take the two of them long and he kept his face even, as they placed the letters on the table, both of them crumbled up beyond recognition.

“Hogwarts, is the school I teach in.” Severus finally began, “Hogwarts is a school for the specially gifted, Hogwarts is a school for witchcraft, for young witches and wizards.”

“Wait, what?”

“It means, Mr. Potter and Mr. Rodgers that you are wizards, and that you were accepted into one of the most noble magical schools there are. It means, that you will be going to school for ten months out of the year learning everything that young wizards need to know.”

“But I’m not, I’m just Harry.” Harry said, panic in his voice. If uncle Vernon were here now he would suffer a heart attack and then surely kill him.

“Well Just- Harry, was there never a moment when things just seemed to happen? When you were in distress? When you were frightened?” It was silent for nearly two minutes when both boys sat there, eyes staring but yet looking at nothing, as both boys relived their lives in their inner eyes, letting everything go by, seing all those little incidents of accidental magic.

“Those special little moments, when you did something magical, were bursts of accidental magic, the first signs of being magical. Now had you both grown up with wizarding families, then this would have been explained to you, then the both of you would have grown up much like any other boy, you would have just needed to keep magic a secret.”

Both boys looked at him wide-eyed.

“I know that the two of you are good at keeping secrets, you kept one secret probably the majority of your life, and I know that that secret was probably very important and that you are very afraid of speaking about it, because you fear what will happen if it is found out that you spoke about it. But I can promise you, that unless you tell me something about that, that there is nothing I can do to keep you from having to go back, do you understand that?”

Both boys nodded.

“So if you speak up, then I will do everything in my power to make sure that you will never have to go back home, that you will never have to see them again.”

Harry felt his throat constrict, he would never have to go back? Ever?

“So how did you know our names?”

“You are both wizards, that for one makes it easier, since I teach at the school the two of you will be attending, I saw both your names on the new students list,” he explained, which was the truth.

“You Mr. Potter though, are known by every wizard and witch,” Snape said, leaning back into the cushions as he waited for that little information to sink in.

“children your own age listened to the tale of you in the form of bedtime stories, there are many stories, most of them more false then real, but still everybody knows your name and the main reason for your fame.”

“My fame, sir?”

 “Yes, Mr. Potter. Magic, is a very special gift, but there are always two sides of a coin. When you are magical, you can decide to be a good magician or an evil one. You can decide to let the magic guide you, or guide the magic. You can be light or dark. Over the last century there was one very evil wizard, a wizard that threw our magical world into a war. He brought fear wherever he went to, those he sought, he killed. When you were a baby Mr. Potter, this evil man strode into your house and decided to kill you and your parents, because he had heard of a prophecy that claimed that a child born in the month of June, a child born to parents that had three times defied him, would become strong enough to beat him. This prophecy led him to your house, he wanted to kill you before you became a threat.”

“But he didn’t?”

“He wasn’t able to,” Severus said. “Something about you, something in you, there are many rumors as to what exactly saved you against his killing curse, it rebounded off of you and instead turned against himself, leaving him nothing more than a lost spirit.”

“But they died in a car accident,” Harry said, frowning. That was the only information he had ever had about his parents, that his father was a drunk who had gotten both himself and his wife killed, leaving him behind to be sent to his aunt and uncle.

“That is what your aunt and uncle told you, because they most probably tried to deny that magic ever existed. Your aunt, Mr. Potter has hated magic since your mother found out that she was a witch. She was jelous, and that jelousy turned into hatred, she projected that hatred onto everything that seemed out of the norm afterwards.”

“How do you know all that?” Harry asked, glancing at his finger which had unconscieously been tracing the outline of his scar while the man had spoken.

“I have known your mother when I was a child, I was the one that explained to her that she was a witch, I was friends with her well into our teenage life.”

“So you knew my parents?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter. I knew both your mother and yoru father, though your father and I were never friends. We had a school rivalry going on that went way out of hand because the teachers wouldn’t step in, this rivalry also resulted in your mother and I ending our friendship on very bad terms.”

“What happened?” Harry asked, eyes wide. Both boys were staring at him, entranced in the story. Even as Pierce knew nothing of the story, having never even known that the boys parents were dead, he was eager to know everything that had to do with magic.

“Your father and I weren’t friends, and one day we got into a fight, during that fight he did something that mortified me, and when your mother tried to come to my aid, I was blind with rage and projected my anger at her. I called her a name, a very hurtful name that shattered our friendship. After that I made very bad decisions, I became dark. It took me years to turn back around, to find the good in life again, but by then I had made terrible mistakes which led to terrible losses, and it was to late to ever patch things up with your mother again.”

“Because she was dead?”

“Yes, because she had been killed.” Severus said quietly, knowing that he would at one point have to be honest with the boy, that he would have to tell him that he was the one that sold out his parents, the sooner the better, but he didn’t know how to go about it, what best to say.

“So you’re famous Harry.” Pierce said after a few seconds, something in his voice that made Snape listen up, something that made him feel uneasy.

“Yeah,” Harry mumbled.

“And you never thought to tell me about it? We could have made this much easier!” Pierce growled fisting his hands at his sides.

“I didn’t know!” Harry nearly shouted. “If I had known then I would have surely done something to get out earlier!” He hissed.

“Why didn’t they come and get you out if you are that important?”

“Yeah, why didn’t anyone ever check?”

Snape inhaled softly, thinking carefully about his next words, knowing he was treading on thin ice.

“Your whereabouts were kept a secret, Mr. Potter. No wizard knew about it but for the one that arranged everything, and no one had the power to find out. There were many spells around your house that prevented anyone from seeing you, from finding you. Because there are still very many wizards out there, wizards and witches that followed the evil dark wizard, that might wish you harm.”

“Why didn’t the one that arranged it ever check on me?”

“Because he had thought that you would be happy and well taken care of, he couldn’t have known that your own aunt and uncle would treat you so.”

“Why, because they are that?”

“Yes, because they are family. He had hoped that you would experience the love of growing up in your own family, surrounded by your only living relatives.”

“Well, family is worthless.” Harry growled angrily scratching at his face.

“So there are still people that want to hurt him?”

“Yes, the man that caused the war, we don’t call him by his name, he had a group of followers, people that did as he bid, and those people are very upset that a mere baby managed to vanquish their lord.”

“Their lord? This sounds like a fairytale gone wrong,” Pierce frowned looking at him skeptically.

“Yes, it does,” Snape said, thoughts racing, he should tell the boy, he should get the truth out as soon as he could, he knew that it would only hurt their relationship if he kept it a secret, that the boy was bound to find out at one point, and then hate him for lying.

“This sounds like this Hitler,” Harry said thoughtfully after a few seconds.

“Yes, it does. Hitler manipulated his followers, the weakest became strong, he allowed them to project their personal insecurity towards the jews, he allowed them to hate and discriminate them, just because he hated them himself. The weakest were his best,” he explained.

“The Dark Lord, he was much the same. He hated those that were not born to wizarding parents, he killed those that had nonmagical parents, that weren’t pureblood. Most of his followers had the same principles, they also believed that the magical race should be kept clean, that only those born from magical parents should be allowed to live in the magical world. That the others were not worth enough, that the halfbloods, or muggleborns, which means magicians born to nonmagical parents were a danger to our world. But not every single one of his followers believed in that. Some followers of his only joined his group because they longed to belong to someone, to something. They joined not knowing exactly what would be expected of them, and before they knew it, they were in to deep to get out again.”

“Why didn’t they just leave?” Pierce asked, a look of doubt in his eyes.

“There was no leaving, the only escape was death.”

Both boys fell silent after that, he did not however miss the short glance Potter gave him, before he blushed and looked down again, studying his knees.

“I was a follower of the dark Lord, I joined him when I was just a teenager, I joined him shortly after your mother and I got into a fight.” Snape finally forced himself to say and was not surprised to find both boys staring at him with disbelief.

“It wasn’t long until I noticed that I had done a mistake, that that was not what I really wanted, that the feeling of belonging was fake, and was not worth it. I soon became scared and just wanted out, but I knew that you wouldn’t get out alive ever,” he explained hesitating. How much could he tell two eleven year olds without scarring them?

“The Dark Lord, he was not very patient, nor was he understanding. If he gave you an order, you needed to do as he said, or you would be punished severely upon returning empty handed. I learned of his displeasure soon after joining and then became paralyzed with fear. I did as he told me, fearing his wrath if I were to displease him, but at the same time reveling in the praise he gave when you did well. He was a perfect manipulator, he knew me, he knew what I had gone through as a child and used it to his advantage, exploiting me.”

“What was his name?”

“Tom Marvolo Riddle was the name he was born with,” Severus said after a few seconds of hesitation, “the name he gave himself to fight this war was Voldemort,” he finally pressed out, feeling his heart skip a beat as he spoke it out like that.

“Voldemort? That’s a stupid name,” Pierce said pulling up his nose in disgust.

“That name Mr. Rodgers makes nearly every grown wizard shiver in fright, witches cry out in fear and children wet their bed. You have no idea how much pain, how much terror this man caused. This name stands for death, for torture and for fear now. It is a name that is not used,” he said even though he knew that Potter would be using it without a problem, without any hesitation, knowing that if he were to become friends with Granger and Weasley this time around, that they as well would start using that name, before switching over to Tommy in their late teenage lifes.

“So how did you get out?” Harry asked after a few seconds, surely no doubt in his mind that he had gotten out before the dark Lord had fallen, a perfect reader of emotions, something almost every abused child became very proficient in.

“One night I overheard someone utter a prophecy, and thinking that I would do the Dark Lord a great service and thus getting off his bad side for a while I immediately reported it to him. I had no idea at the time that this prophecy would change everything, that this prophecy would be connected to my childhood best friend, her husband and very young child.”

“Me,” Harry said emotionless, eyes on his knees, hands laying still next to his thighs.

“Yes, I did not hear the entire prophecy, but yet I heard enough to make the Dark Lord assume that it was talking of you. It spoke of a family that had thrice defied him and born a son in the six month, which left you and another family. When he visited you that night, he immediately made you part of the prophecy, he branded you with it.”

“So you are the reason his parents were killed?”

“Yes, I reported back to the Dark Lord, the Dark Lord made use of it and targeted you.”

“And I killed him?”

“You vanquished him, not even the devil would grant something as evil as the Dark Lord entrance, Mr. Potter. I am sure that he is somewhere out there, that something of him is left, and that eventually he will find a way to get back.”

They fell silent after that, Pierce glancing out of the window digesting everything he had heard, trying to make sense of it.

“So what did you do after that?”

“The moment I learned that he would attack your house, I tried to stop him, to make him check the other family, I begged him to spare you, I offered everything, my own life. He had none of it, he did however promise that he would let your mother live. I immediately ran from him and ran to his biggest enemy, the wizard that was leading the other side of the war, I ran to him, I begged for forgiveness and I told him what I had done, I begged him to save you. He granted forgiveness. I was just a child back then myself, you must know. He arranged for your parents and you to be placed in a safe house,” Severus said, heart aching as he thought of it, heart yearning for his best friend who was lost forever.

“It would have all worked out, we had special secrecy charms set up, special lock charms and even a charm called the fidelus charm, a charm that would have one person, only one know the location of your parents. That someone though, betrayed your parents and brought the information to the dark lord, giving away their address, the dark lord killed them the same night.”

“So I am famous because I didn’t die?” Harry asked, swallowing hard at that, this was so surreal. Just a few weeks ago, he had been the bow living with his aunt and uncle, in the closet under the stairs, hated by his only living relatives, poor and beaten, starved and forgotten. And now? Now he sat in a train, talking to a man who taught at a school that taught magic.

 “Yes, and you are famous for vanquishing him, the majority of people hope that he is dead, assume that he is dead and will never return. As I said, I don’t think something as vile and evil as him could truly ever die.”

When they finally arrived in London Snape was ready to smack his head into the wall repeatedly, once both the boys had digested the information about the dark Lord, about his past, which had evoked many questions on pierces side and eerie silence on Harrys he had answered a million questions about the school, about the magical world about all subjects and all sports, at least it felt like it.

“Very well, I think we should get the shopping for your school supplies done as we are here, just to get it out of the way. And you desperately need a new wardrobe.”

“I don’t have any money,” Harry said quickly, Pierce immediately saying he didn’t have any either.

“WE won’t worry about that now. For now I will pay, we have a grant at school for that,” he said, knowing that this would only affect Rodgers, the Potter whelp had enough money in his account to buy every single attire store in Diagon Alley. But that is not where he went at first. He first took them to the Snitchlett store in muggle London, a store hidden in an apparently run down mortgage office, with graffiti covered windows, one of them smashed and a very disgusting looking clerk sitting at a desk behind the window.

“We won’t go in there, right?” Pierce asked, voice thin.

“Your first lesson boys, in our world, nothing is ever truly like it appears, watch and learn.” He said, as he pushed the door open.

“Can you point us towards the next Snitchlett store, sir?”

 “Right through that door,” the man said winking at him as he got up and followed them towards the door, before closing it behind them.

“Professor Snape, with two students this time?” The man asked a smile on his face even as his face was morphing somewhat, thinning out, the beard pulling back under his now tight skin, tan skin. Both Pierce and Harry watched with their mouth open, horrified and excited at the same time.

“Mr. Brown,” Severus greeted the young man, shaking hands quickly.

“Yes, and both of them need an entirely new set of clothing, covering everything, can you do that?”

“Yes, sure. This should be fun, right guys?” He asked smiling brightly at the two young boys, both of them to startled to do more than stare.

“Oh, alright then. Just follow me,” Nicolas said a little self conscious now, but not letting it get into the way of finding new clothes for both, all Snitchlett, only the best.

 Snape sat in the chair by the changing rooms reading the newest edition of Potions weekly, an edition he had already read forty times or so, waiting for Mr. Brown to finally get done with it.

Once in a while he glanced up to see the graduate flick his wrist beckoning an entirely new stack of clothing towards him and then holding it up to the boys, frowning or nodding.

They had been in here for nearly two hours now, and only had about four more hours until the last train for the day would leave for Hogwarts, and he would be damned if he’d miss it. But then again, he could simply take the Knightbus.

“Alright, this should almost be it. Professor, do you have any extra wishes?”

“Yes, their school equipment as well, from quills to holsters.” It was nearly another half an hour until he discreetly walked up towards the counter, instructing both boys to go into the changing room and putting on one of their newer dress outfits, meaning slacks, button down and robe.

He nearly did loose his breakfast when the man rang up the price, but he knew that he had enough savings to dress the boys daily for the next two years, having inherited enough money from family and having earned enough with his teaching and potions making.

“Alright you two, come out and let me see,” he finally called after having shrunk the bags and put them in his pockets. He knew the boys were done as he could hear them talk to each other in excitement.

And both boys did look very different, in their expensive dress robes, their dress shoes.

“Nice, thank you so much Mr. Brown,” Snape said, extending his hand to shake his prior students hand strongly, "What do you say boys?”

“Thank you Mr. Brown,” they both chorused blushing somewhat looking everywhere but at the young man.

“You are so welcome, you do look flashing, let me tell you that. Have fun with the rest of your shopping,” Brown said before leading them back upstairs.

“Thank you Mr. Snape,” Harry said just before they exited the store and Snape stopped himself from correcting the boy at the last second.

“You both are very welcome, we have to hurry a little now. We still need to get all your books, and your other things.”

He didn’t stay with them after dropping them of at Madam Malkins, threatening both with very sore ears if he had to find them in Diagon Alley.

He had pinched both boys ears twice already in the twenty minutes since they had made it here. He was more than happy that Harrys fringe completely covered the scar and that no one would expect him to walk around with the Potter boy or this visit would have been horrible. But it proved to be complicated enough, with the boys stopping dead every couple of steps, gawking at a store, hissing excitedly about some moving picture or running up to the window of the pet store.

“You will stay right here and be good for Madam Malkin, am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Both said, Pierce still massaging his throbbing ear.

“If I have to hunt you down here, you know what happens yes?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, I’ll be back in just a few minutes, be good.”

The reactions of the two boys had been entirely different, when he had grabbed both boys simultaneously by the ear to administer a good pinch, Harry had completely frozen up in his grasp, not making a single sound, not even wincing, while Pierce had immediately apologized for running off, dancing on his toes to alleviate the pressure on his ear.

 He did not know which reaction worried him more.

 So he made it quick as he walked into the apothecary, ordered a complete restack of his supply and new Potionkits for the boys, the best there was, plus high quality cauldrons and scales. He would not have the two of them performing badly just because he shied from higher costs. And maybe this way the two of them would get off with a good start, maybe this time the other students at school would not notice that their supposed savior was a poor bum.

He hurried to the bookstore next, where he bought the two of them the entire set, plus introduction guides to the wizarding world, and two more potions books which he found very valuable for his class and wanted to put on the index ever since he started teaching. He also grabbed a book for himself, before hurrying next door and buying both boys a new trunk, a better quality trunk with three departments, so the two wouldn’t ruin their clothing the first chance they had.

So when he got back to the dresser almost an hour later he only had to wait for another ten minutes until the two finally stepped down from the stool, both scowling somewhat as they had been prodded for over an hour and had to stand still for the entire time.

“Alright, let’s grab a bite of lunch and then get going,” he said as he once again played while the boys went to go to the restroom.

“Was that Harry Potter?” Madam Malkin asked the moment the door to the restroom fell closed behind them.

“Yes, it was, and his friend Pierce Rodgers,” Severus answered offhandedly as he magically sealed the transaction.

“I didn’t say anything, poor boy, he must be so confused.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Did he not grow up with muggles? And he was kept from the magical world, how Dumbledore could think that that was beneficial is beyond me, but he must have not expected the reactions he must have gotten.”

“He was actually up to now not recognized and I was very grateful for that,” Severus explained as he leaned against the counter glancing at the restroom door.

“So why take them shopping already, this doesn’t usually happen for another two weeks, the school year is still going for another few days, isn’t it?”

“Yes, until this Friday,” Snape answered, “We wanted to get this over with before Diagon alley was crowded, no need to make it worse for the boy.”

They stopped talking then as Harry came back from the bathroom timidly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

“Were they good for you then?”

“Yes, they were wonderful, my best costumers so far I believe, that surely earns them a treat, no?”

Snape nearly groaned, he should have never asked. So instead of buying the three of them a healthy meal at toms or any other restaurant, he ended up eating waffles and then ice-cream at the parlor, both boys smiling over both ears, ice-cream smudges covering their faces.

“Very well, would you prefer taking the train or bus?”

“There’s a bus going all the way to the school?”

“Yes, it’s a magical bus, and it would be faster. If we take the train now, we wouldn’t be back to school until past midnight, the bus will take us there a little faster.”

They ended up taking the bus, both boys horrified by the way of driving, absolutely green In the face and nearly sicking up. He had picked both of them of the floor for three times by the time he was ready to just magically stick them to the bed, when the ride finally smoothed out, as they were out of the city, crashing towards Hogsmeade.

“It is late, and you had a long day, if you want you can lean back and get a little rest, I will make sure that you won’t fall magically if you wish.”

“I don’t want to sleep,” Pierce said immediately, sitting up straighter, eyes flying around the bus, taking every magical detail in, while Harry said nothing, simply sitting up straighter.

“Harry Potter!” another passenger suddenly exclaimed jumping to his feet the moment his eyes fell on the young black-haired boy, with green eyes, whose fringe had after the last fall been pushed back a little.

“It is such an honor, welcome back Harry, welcome back!” The man said, grasping the boys hand in his and shaking it profusely. Harry nearly pulled back in fright, but then just went rigid, allowing the man to nearly dislocate his shoulder.

“Thank you, that should be enough,” Snape finally said when the man didn’t let go even after twenty seconds, eyes on the boys scar the entire time, mumbling words over and over.

“Oh, I’m sorry, how impolite of me. My name if Larry Bumbleton, and it’s such a pleasure to meet you! We have been waiting for you to return for ten years! Wait until I tell my wife about this, she won’t believe it!” The man continued on.

“Alright, you can let go of him now.” Snape said briskly, tapping the man on the wrist with his wand sharply.

“Ow, oh sorry.” The man said, letting go before his eyes fell on the other boy.

“And you must be Harrys friend?”

“Yes, Pierce Rodgers, sir.” Pierce said offering a little smile.

“Such a pleasure, welcome back again, Harry!” The man hurried to say before Snape gave him a little shove.

“so it really is true,” Pierce said after a few seconds of silence, eyes flying back to the man who was hurriedly scribbling something onto a parchment, most probably a statement to the prophet, Snape thought shaking his head angrily.

“Yes, I don’t lie.” HE simply replied, glancing at Harry once, who sat staring straight forwards as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

HE hadn’t gone to get the wands for exactly that reason, he had hoped to keep it quiet, to keep the boys return to the wizarding world a secret for at least a little longer, at least until Dumbledore could figure out a statement to give to the Prophet, something small, something so short that it wouldn’t even make the fifth page. But that was ruined now.

He also didn’t want the boys swishing around their wands in his quarters, practicing magic and probably setting his place on fire as they did.

He was not surprised however when both boys of them were laying on their sides an hour into the ride, both slumbering peacefully, and he performed a sticking charm, just to be on the safe side.

“So what are you planning to do now Severus? Do you really think it was a smart Idea to bring them here just yet? What should we do with them over the summer break?” Dumbledore asked, eyes not twinkling, slightly confusing Severus. That was not the reaction he had expected.

“I did not go and pull them out of their beds, Headmaster. The boys must have been living in the streets for weeks now, and they searched for me. When I was contacted, I did not know what for exactly, so I went to look into it. What should I have done? Apparated them back to their abusive families and acted as if nothing ever happened?”

“You know that Harry needs to live with Petunia, it is for his safety.”

“He is better off anywhere else, do you want him to turn into the next dark Lord Headmaster? We know what abuse does to children, we know what it does to children if they know nothing of love. Don’t you always say that there is nothing stronger than love? How can Harry learn love if he is only surrounded by hatred.”

“I am surprised at you Severus, at the beginning of this year you were ready to resign just because the boy was coming here,” Dumbledore said, and Snape almost swore, damn there was that twinkle.

“It occurred to me, that hating the boy would not be in my benefit, nor was Potter solely to blame for the way things went, teachers should have stepped in, you should have stepped in Headmaster, we were only teenagers. And while Potter should have been punished for his behavior at school, I got him killed, and thus hating him, or continue hating him is not possible.”

Dumbledore nearly frowned at the man after those words.

“Severus, you know that you are not to blame for that night, yes?”

“Not solely, yes. All this could have been prevented, had the adults in my school years not turned a blind eye and clearly favored Potter, had I spoken up about my own childhood, then it would have never gone so far. But no one can go back to change the past, we can simply grow from it and learn to never repeat those mistakes. That being said, Headmaster, I will not allow for Potter to ever return to that family, and if you even think about arguing that, then I will write to the Prophet and give them a very graphic description of the boys childhood, his abuse and I will not hesitate to mention the fact that you neglected to check up on him.”

“Severus, you are jumping to conclusions,” Albus said, voice hard as steel.

“Am I? Because if you tell me that you did check up on the boy, and knew of his abuse, then I can not promise that I can stay calm.”

“Severus, I had someone watching the boy and his family, he was never all alone.”

“Who, Arabella Fig? The Squib? Do you think those relatives of his would beat him in the streets? In the yard for everyone to see and hear?”

“He went to school like all other children, I received all the reports from that school. He never missed an alarming amount of days, the teachers never hinted at anything, nor did Mrs. Figg,” Albus said, voice low, but there was something in his eyes, he looked haunted, almost crazed at the mere thought that he perhaps could have missed something.

“You should learn Headmaster, that the word Family does not stand for unconditional love. You should learn that not everything is black and white, you should know that, for Merlin's sake!” Snape nearly yelled, fisting his hands.

“They are his family, the only ones he has left!”

“And yet they treated him worse than Malfoy treats his house elf's! They treated him worse than I ever treated anyone! And that should tell you something! Love, you build everything on that, you pull all your hope from that simple little thing, Headmaster, the world is not black and white. There is not only Love and Hate.”

“There was nothing I could have done, Severus. The boy was in mortal peril, what should I have done?”

“Every single Wizarding family in this world would have taken the boy in, and while I understand why you didn’t do that, and I understand your thoughts, I understand why you gave the boy to his relatives, but I am still shocked to find out that you never thought about personally checking in on the boy. You have so high hopes in him, and yet you never went to see him, in ten years?”

“I wanted him to grow up like any other normal boy, without any worries, without having to remember!”

“He was a year old for christs sake, they told him his parents died in a car crash, that his father was a drunk and killed both himself and his mother leaving him behind to be the burden in their family, was that what you had in mind? Has it never crossed you mind to go and explain to the boy just how special he is?”

“He is a mere child, he need not know.”

“He is a mere child, yes, but he is not the average child. He is the child that defeated the dark lord, the only survivor of the killing curse. He lost his parents to he who must not be named, he is destined to defeat the dark lord, when were you thinking about telling him? When he is an adult, perhaps found a bride and was a father? When he is in his final year? Did you really think you could keep him ignorant of his own destiny until he was fully grown? Every child in our world knows his name, knows his fame, he needs to know, he needs to know just who he is and what is to become of him.”

“He is eleven Severus, knowing of the prophecy will be too much!”

“He’s not the average ten year old, Headmaster, but what is past, is past. But I will stick to my word, the boy is not going back there. And I will take him in, I owe that much to Lilly!”

“Six months ago you hated him!”

“Six months ago you thought that he was loved and cuddled by his family. I will not let him go through the same hell I went through, I will not let any child go through that. You know me, Headmaster, better than anyone else. If you truly believe that I am incapable of taking care of the boy, then tell me now.”

“What are you planning to do with him, you have never taken care of a child before.”

“I will help him get over his past, Headmaster.”

“Like you have?” Albus asked, and there was true curiosity in those words, the bright blue eyes nearly causing Snape to look away.

“I am better now,” Snape said carefully. “And perhaps it will do both of us good, I am planning to be honest with the boy, honesty will do him best, he needs to know everything, he needs to know that he is not the average ten year old, but that he can still live an average life.”

Albus sat quietly for a few seconds before he glanced up at him, his bright blue eyes saddened, “What about the other boy?”

“I will have to talk with the cousin. Mr. Rodgers is on of my brightest students, and I will be damned to see him throwing away his future, learning something way under his qualifications just because he needs to take care of an eleven year old.”

“So?”

“I will offer to take care of the boy, so Terrance can go to University.”

“So two boys?”

“Yes, I am confident that it is for the best,” Severus said, head reeling. Was he ready for that?

Harry and Pierce were both sleeping deeply in the Hospital wing, a watchful Poppy standing besides their cots. She treated both with utmost care, having administered bruise balm to almost their entire body, having healed them magically and now simply letting them rest dosed with a rather high concentration of dreamless sleep.

Snape had brought both boys to her, nearly two hours ago, both hexed unconscious and floating before him, he had deposited them on cots and then magically undressed them before he began snapping pictures while giving her enough intel to know what she was dealing with.

She now eyed both of them sadly, clearly remembering the Professor in his childhood years, how she had patched him up every single time he had come home again after the breaks, beaten and badgered, chronically underfed and dehydrated.
She knew now that she should have stood up to the Headmaster back then, that she should have fought for the boy. But she was such a young mediwitch back then, working at this school had been a blessing, one she had never dreamed of, and when the Headmaster told her to drop it, she had.
Not this time though, she promised herself, standing at Potters bed, with her arms crossed over her chest, remembering clearly how she had patched Snape up for the first time in her life, the images still scarring her memory.

“Are they still sleeping?”

“Yes, Sev, are you still planning to take them to your quarters?”

“If you release them, then yes. I would prefer if the school not yet knew of their presense. It would be best if the two of them had the chance to fully heal before they get mobbed by the crowds.”

“And Mr. Rodgers, when will you inform him?”

“Tomorrow morning, perhaps that way he can go into his last two final exams without as much weight on his shoulders, and I doubt that I can keep Pierce Rodgers calm for very long if I lock him away.”

“They need nutrition potions, both of them. Both are very malnourished, and they need to apply the bruise balm and scar-removal once a day. I suggest you aid them, as they will have a hard time reaching their backs. I would also prefer seeing them again in two days, to see how they take to the potions. Mr. Potter needs to have his left wrist rebroken or he will have problems when he gets older, I doubt they ever took him to see a doctor in the first place, his bones are in terrible shape. And Pierce needs to see a dentist, I can only do so much.”

“Thank you, what about Potters eye-sight, is there anything we can do?”

“You’d have to take him to a specialist, it’s not my field of expertise and I would probably do more harm than good.”

“Thank you Poppy, I will bring them up again in two days after curfew, please do inform me if you have guests though, if that is the case you might need to come down to the dungeons.”

“Yes, I should and please make sure they eat a lot. They need to gain weight, but it needs to be healthy, and light food, they have not eaten properly in weeks, well their entire life, though Pierce is in way better shape than Harry is.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes, they are exhausted, and need to rest a lot, or it might damage their chores. So an early bedtime is advisable, and perhaps a nap. Just for a few days,” she said, almost apologetically.

“Thank you poppy, I will make sure of that.”

“Good luck with the nap-time,” she smirked and he nearly groaned.

“Any advice?”

“Quiet time, it sounds better than nap-time, they are ten after all. Just two hours, after lunch, quiet reading in their rooms, no running. That should be good enough for now, and they need to apply this to their feet, they are badly blistered,” she added suddenly thrusing another flask into his hand.

“And they have a pretty bad rash on their privates, here is that balm,” she said handing him another one. “If they apply this again for the next three times, after their morning shower and when they go to bed, they should get rid of it.”

“My, this will be fun.” Snape groaned but never the less pocketed everything before levitating both boys out of their beds. Poppy flicked her wand once, magically dressing them in plain hospital gowns.

“Thank you, let’s just hope there is no student sneaking around, or I’ll award detention for every night until the end of term,” Snape smirked before walking out, both boys magically floating behind him, leaving an exhausted and slightly startled Poppy behind.

Snape merily transfigured his couch into a queensize bed, depositing both boys. His walk down to the dungeons had been uninterrupted, which he was very grateful for! He was not surprised at the fresh vibes of magic in his quarters, he would have surprised if Dumbledore had not added another room to his quarters.
When he went to check, he found two new rooms, both large enough with simple single beds, desks, bookshelves and wardrobes and doors leading to their own personal bathrooms, toilet, sink, cabinet and shower.

He shortly thought about putting the boys into the rooms, but then shook his head about himself. The moment he had placed the boys on the couch Pierce had wrapped his arms around Potter, with the blackhaired boy had molten into. They had most probably been sleeping like this ever since they ran together and he wanted nothing less than having two boys wake in a panic.

He however nearly found no sleep, he was tossing restlessly in his bed, every single sound from the livingroom, even if it was just one of the boys turning around had him fully awake.
So finally he just gave up and walked into the living room, sitting down in his reclining armchair he pulled a blanket over himself and dimmed the fire in the fireplace, enough so he could rest his tired eyes and he finally fell into a slumber.

Harry was the first to awake from his deep sleep, sitting straight up, looking around horrified, that was until his eyes fell on the blackhaired man who was laying in the armchair breathing deeply. Pierce was still sleeping next to him, neither of them moved when he swung his legs out from under the covers and stood up. He was in a Hospital Gown he noticed almost immediately, confused. Hadn’t they bought new PJ’s just the day before? He couldn’t remember visiting the hospital wing, the last thing he could remember was falling asleep on the bus!

Had he finally lost consciousness? He had feared dying of hunger and exhaustion for days now, but since they had eaten at the church and slept a lot, he had thought that he would be better off. When he took a few steps he noticed several things at once. His feet, while still painful, were hurting considerably less, and the cuts and scrabes on his knees and hands didn’t hurt at all anymore. His back was almost lots less tense. He was not feeling as exhausted either, neither was he that thirsty anymore, his lips weren’t as dry and his private didn’t cling to his gown!

He stood motionless while he realized all that, they must have used magic on him to make him feel this much better! He knew how long his body ususally took to recover from a beating, or from a rash, and this was just way to fast!
 

He turned around again and regarded the man sleeping in the armchair. Snape, he remembered, the past day slowly coming back to his mind. They had been to so many magical places, the man had done so much for them, without even giving them a weird look, or making them feel bad at all!

He stood still for nearly a minute before he realized that he really needed to use the bathroom. But when he looked around he couldn’t find a door that seemed to look like a bathroom door! He stood still for nearly another two minutes before he grew desperate, he really needed to go! He hadn’t gone the night before, and he had never been good at holding it in really long.
Biting his lower lip he glanced at the sleeping man again.
He knew that he should wake the man and ask, but perhaps if he was really quiet he could just go and look for it? And then lay back down and act as if he had never gotten up?

He finally just crept on silently, walking towards the first door, but the moment he placed his hand on the cold knob he could feel someone pretty close behind him and immediately tensed up.

“Follow me,” Severus whispered quietly, waiting until the pale boy turned, he himself silently walked down the hallway towards the room door on the right side of the long hallway.

“This will be your room for now. There is a bathroom in there, you can take a shower and brush your teeth, I will place your new clothes on your bed which I then expect you to put into your closet neatly, hang the shirts and coats up so they don’t all wrinkled up. And put the books into the shelves and your school supplies into the desk, yes?”

“Yes,” Harry forced himself to whisper, quickly tippling past the man, the floor here was really cold, he noticed when his toes nearly turned blue.

The moment the door closed behind the boy, Snape summoned the shrunken bags and sorted through the clothes and other supplies, magically depositing them on the bed before floating the rest down to the other room.
Pierce was still peacefully sleeping in the livingroom and seeing that it was only five thirty he saw no reason to wake him yet.
He had only begun brewing some coffee when he heard the boys bathroom door close and he quickly grabbed the potions and balms.

“No, don’t dress just yet. These are potions and balms that will heal those bruises and welts. This is a potion that will make up for your malnutrition and your dehydration. Most of them will taste nasty and might burn a little when applied but it is necessary.” He explained as he lined up the potions on the boys desk. “This balm here is for your rashes, I’ll let you apply that in privacy in just a moment, but let me apply the bruise and scarremoval balm to your back,” he continued and motioned for the stiff boy to turn around.

“Go on, I won’t do anything, just turn around.” Harry hesitated a few seconds, every instinct in him fighting against the motion. Turning your back on someone was never a good idea, especially not when he was naked. Snape waited patiently, watching the play of emtions on the boys face.

When the boy finally did turn, he swallowed a gasp and groan, the sight was shocking, especially after the boy had just taken a hot shower and the bruises and welts showed more aggressively.

“I’m sorry if this hurts, just bear with me,” he said softly, as he applied the balm to his fingers and then softly massaged it into the boys back, starting at the shoulders and working himself down towards the boys lower back, making sure he got a thick layer onto the darkest welts and bruises.

IT took him nearly two minutes and he was sure that the boy stopped breathing while he did it, totally tense.
“There, thank you for holding still,” he said, knowing that the boy hadn’t held still for his benefit, but only because he had been petrefied. But perhaps he could take some of the boys anxiety that way.

Harry finally took a breath when he felt the man take a step back. He had never had anyone touch him in such a way, touch him so softly, so carefully. It was awkward, strange and frightening, but it had also felt so good!

Snape walked back towards the desk and picked up three vials.

“Here, those will taste nasty, so chuck ‘em down fast,” he said uncorking the first and handing it to the boy, who did as he was told immediately, pulling a face but not making a sound, Snape worked fast, knowing just how nasty they tasted.

Harry thought he might just end up puking after the first potion, his stomach churning at the taste, the bile rising in his throat, and he fought it, not allowing himself to give in to his body, quickly downing the second vile the man held out before downing the third. Just as he went to hand the third potion back did the man thrust a glass with juice into his hand.

“There drink it down, maybe that’ll help you keep it down. If you need to throw up, it’s okay, don’t be embarrassed, I know it’s hard.” Snape said, face void of any emotion as he watched the boy gulp down the pumpkin juice. The look of wonder on the boys face once he handed the cup back nearly made him smirk.

“That was pumpkin juice, a very popular drink here,” he said before he flicked his wand, summoning a stomach soother to him.
“There, the last potion, that’ll help your stomach to stay calm and help you keep the other potions down,” he said, magically refilling the cup watching the boy down the last potion, not protesting once. Harry immediately grabbed the cup and downed it just as fast, eyed wide open as he tried to figure out just why this drink tasted so wonderfully good.

“Thank you Mr. Potter, now, this balm here,” he said placing it into Harrys hand, “is the same I used on your back. Massage it into your thights and bottom, it’ll make your bruises fade and might heal some of those scars.” He said before lifting the container from the desk and unscrewing it.

“This is the rash balm, as soon as you are done applying that one, wait until it soaked into your skin, you could put away some books or clothes while you wait for that. As soon as it all soaked in, then apply this to your privates. When that soaked in, then you can dress.”

“Thank you, sir.” Harry whispered as he glanced at the two containers in wonder.

“You are welcome, once you have sorted everything away please come back into the kitchen so we can get some food into your stomach, okay?”

“Yes,sir.”

He was in the kitchen, sitting at his table reviewing his less than mediocre old teaching plans when Pierce finally stirred, probably only because he had made enough noise to wake the dead. Pierce reacted very different from Potter, he noticed again. The boy sat up, and looked around in wonder, before his eyes fell on him.

“How did I get here?”

“You fell asleep on the bus, I brought you to the hospital ward here, where a doctor took a look at you. After that I brought you down here,” he explained shortly taking another sip of the coffee, watching the boy as he made sense of the words.

“Where’s Harry?”

“Getting dressed, when you are ready to get up, you can follow me.” He said and the boy nearly flew of the couch, standing by him.

“Will you take me to Ter?”

“In a Hospital Gown? No, you will take a shower, then have breakfast and then I will call your cousin to my office where you will get to speak with him briefly.”

He followed much the same procedure with Pierce, noticing that Pierce spoke way more, almost to much to his liking, chattering the entire way to his new room, and he nearly had to force the boy into the shower.

“When you are done, don’t get dressed but wait for me,” Snape said hearing the other room door close just at that moment.

“Don’t take too long,” Snape advised at last before walking out back into the living room where a timid harry stood, in black slacks and a long white grey shirt, slippers on his feet, hair still damp.

“Did you put all your new things away?”

“Yes, sir.” Harry replied, voice low, looking around the quarters.

“thank you, if you want you can take a seat. Breakfast is ready, would you like milk or more juice?”

“The juice, sir.” Harry whispered carefully taking a seat, tensing up once Snape sat down to his right placing a plate in front of himself and him.

“Where is Piercce?”

“He woke up while you got dressed, he is in the shower now.” Snape said, as he cut his sausages to pieces, watching as the boy stabbed at his eggs after having only taken a few bites.

“You need to finish your eggs and at least one sausage,” he said as he got up and brought his plate to the sink.

Harry only looked up shortly, something in his eyes but he let his face fall again to quickly for Snape to figure out exactly what it was.

“I’ll help Pierce with his medicine, please eat, I’ll be right back.” He said, voice thoughtful as he moved towards the other boys room.

Pierce was sitting on the bed, towel over his lap, clothes pushed aside. Snape frowned at the messy pile only shortly, but didn’t say anything just now. The boy would have to clean them up in just a moment anyway, so there was no sense in stressing over it now.

“Get up please and turn your back, I’ll put a cream onto your back which will help with the bruises,” Snape said after closing the door behind him.

“Why?”

“So you won’t have to be wearing those bruises much longer,” he said waiting impatiently until the boy finally turned his back. 

He massaged the potion into the boys back much like he had done with Potter earlier, surprised that Pierce however did not tense up as badly, but rather melted into the touch, even sighed once in a while when he massaged a specially hard muscle. He was almost amused at the way the boy wriggled, or curled his toes when he got close to the sides, nearly finding himself tempted to poke at the boys ribs to just see how the boy would react.

“Very well, turn around,” he said as he summoned the mug with the juice, lifting the vials.

“Now, these here are for your malnutrition and other things that need to be taken care of. They will not be to your liking, but you still need to drink them. As soon as you drank them, you can have a drink of the juice and then you take one last potion that will help in case you feel sick.”

While Harry had simply pulled a face and stiffened up Pierce immediately gagged and shook with disgust after the first potion, grabbing his throat, for a moment frightening Snape into believing that perhaps he was allergic to one of the ingredients.

“URGH!” Pierce cried out, wiping a hand over his mouth, once more shaking with disgust.

“Two more, come on, the quicker you drink them the sooner it’ll be over,” Snape said, impatiently, as he held out the next potion for the boy to drink.

“I don’t want to drink another one, that tasted like rotten socks,” he complained one hand holding his stomach which was churning.

“Not surprising seeing how that was the main ingredient,” Snape said drily, causing the boy to lift wide open eyes to his mouth dropping open in disgust.

“I was sarcastic, child. Now stop this foolishness and drink the potions.”

“I don’t want to!” Pierce said, crossing his arms across his chest, face still carrying a look of disgust.

“I don’t make a habit of discussing with dunderhead children, now drink.”

“No,” Pierce said, shaking his head determinately.

“Very well then,” Snape said, not in the mood to discuss with the child. “It’s a simple as this, if you don’t drink these potions you won’t get better.”

“I am healthy,” Pierce said quickly.

“So you say,” Snape sneered. “I do not tolerate disobedience, Mr. Rodgers, now stop this nonsense and drink.”

“They are disgusting though!”

“Which matters not, now do as I said and down them. The longer you fight, the longer the taste will linger,” he said, lifting the cup with the juice.

“Can’t I have a sip to wash down the other potion first though?”

“No, you can have a drink once you drank these two here as well, now do as I said or I will be most displeased.”

“I don’t want to,” Pierce whined taking a step back, making snape press his lips together in surpressed anger and annoyance.

“Very well then, this balm here is for your bruises. Apply it to your backside and thighs, massage it in like I did to your back. As soon as you did that you have to wait until it fully soaked in, once it has you can apply this cream here to yoru private areas to take care of the rash. Once that soaked in you can put away your clothes and school supplies. Once you have done all that, and gotten dressed you can come out and have breakfast.”

“Yes, sir.” Pierce said, nearly smiling in happiness that he didn’t have to drink another of those potions.

“And Pierce, just because you don’t drink them now, doesn’t mean that you won’t drink them, is that clear?”

“But-“

“Because I won’t call down your cousin until you downed the last drop, now do as I said and come out when you are ready.” Snape said, grabbing the vials and walking out, closing the door smartly behind him. HE did however turn abruptly when siemthign solid hid the door right after his exit, followd by a frustrated shout of the boy. He tore the door open again, face pale with anger. His eyes fell to the floor where the new edition of the boys charms book now lay.

“Did you just throw this book after me?” He asked, voice low, threatening, almost menacing. Pierce backed up a step, his own face paling as well.

“You are treating on thin ice Mr. Rodgers, and I only have this much patience, and unless you want to find out just what exactly I do with little disobedient and disrespectful boys that live with me you shape up, is that understood?” He asked, fingers holding the doorknob tight, fearing that if he stepped in any closer he would loose all control and end up doing something he might regret.

“Yes, sir.” Pierce whimpered when the man apparently waited for him to answer.

“I hope so, now do as I said, if I have to come in here again young man, then you will be spending the morning in the corner, followed by writing lines instead of seing your cousin.”

“You can’t keep him from me!” Pierce angrily replied, the hand which was not holding up his towel angrily fisted by his side.

“You have no idea what I can and what I can not do, and unless you want to find out first hand, you will learn to heed me.” Snape replied briskly.

“And if you once again treat your school supplies so carelessly then we will have a serious talk, is that clear?”

“I’m not afraid of you!” Pierce said back, trying to sound fierce, brave but instead he ended up shouting it, eyes wide with fear.

“So you say,” Snape said once again, almost smirking. “I think you are very afraid, and that is understandable, seeing where you came from, but just because I understand that does not mean that I will not punish you in case you act like a disrespectful naughtie little boy.”

The words had the desired effect, as the boy blushed bright red and his head fell somewhat.

“I will be waiting for you in the livingroom, with the potions,” he said before frowning at the book by his feet one more time.

“And clean this up,” he added before once again walking from the room, not surprised to find Harry standing at the end of the hallway eyes open wide.

“No Mr. Potter, I did not kill your friend, no worries,” Snape sighed as the boy flinched somewhat when he looked at him, backing up three steps.

“I have way more efficient ways to show my anger then beating a child,” he added, eyes dark as he walked past the child, feeling somewhat insulted that the boy even thought that he might do something like that.

Harry said nothing as he once more simply stood by the side of the table, looking around somewhat lost.

“If you want, you can go to your room and read a book, or bring one out and read it here in the livingroom. I will need to speak with both you and your friend in a few minutes anyway.”

“Is he in trouble?” Harry croaked even as he took a few backward steps towards the hallway.

“He is treating on very thin ice, and he knows. Now do please get a book, the introduction guide to the wizarding world would be a good one to start with,”he suggested, turning his back to the boy as he again pulled forth his planner.

He had been revived, one could call it nearly two months ago, and yet he had not managed to work through all his planners, some of his worked out schedules were still more than abysmal, seeing that his nearly eight year younger less experienced predecessor had worked these out.
 He heard Potter shuffe closer carefully, stopping every other step.

“Go on, you can take a seat on the couch close to the fire, there’s some tea, and if you are hungry at any point you can go and grab a slice of fruit, they are in the fridge.”
“Thank you, sir.” Harry said quietly avoiding eyecontact as he sat down on the couch stiffly.

“Okay, I’m done,” a different voice cut in, carrying a different tone as well. Way less respectful Snape noted immediately and took his time turning around.

“There is breakfast on the table, you need to eat at the eggs and at least one sausage,” he said getting up. Potter had apparently cleaned up his plate, and he was tempted to check the garbage can.

“Potter did you finish your breakfast?”

“Uh, no sir,” Harry said, getting up, eyes wide.

“Then put down your book, where did you put your plate?”

“By the sink, sir.” Harry replied, eyes flying towards the kitchen.”

“I told you that you needed to finish the eggs and at least one sausage,” Snape said as he went to grab the plate which had not been touched again after he had gotten up apparently.

“You cant force him to eat if he’s not hungry,” Pierce immediately said, eyes flying from Harry who was fidgeting nervously to Snape who again pressed his lips together.

“Your friend can speak for himself, and I did not ask for your opinion. Now sit down and eat, unless you want to take your potions now?”

Pierce angrily fell into his chair, stabbing his fork at the sausage, causing Snape to nearly walk over there to share a piece of his own anger with the boy.

“Do come Mr. Potter,” Snape finally hissed at the boy who was still standing by the couch.

“I’m really full, sir.” Harry said softly, but he already walked back towards the table, taking a seat when the Professor placed the plate back in front of the seat he had previously sat in.

“You still need to eat, I do not say things only to hear myself speak, there is a reason why I am making you,” Snape said sternly, flicking his wrist, magically reheating the meal.
“And you Mr. Rodgers should be very careful for the rest of the day, I do not appreciate the tone you are using with me, is that clear?” He asked, raising his eyebrows at the boy, who glanced up only briefly before glaring back down at his plate.

“The deal was that you took us here and that I get to see my cousin, not that we live with you!” He snarled after a few seconds.

“Oh, so you think you can go and live with your seventeen year old cousin? He has no job, no house, no nothing and yet you want to go live with him? End his future just like that? Do you not want him to be able to go to University, learn a job and make something of himself?”

“He can still do that!” Pierce said, eyes wide as he nearly slammed the fork down, catching himself in the last moment, a move that did not go unnoticed by the Professor.

“Yes, he can, not if he has to take care of an eleven year old, or two for that matter. You will be beginning your classes soon, and until then you will live with me.”

“I don’t want to live with you!” Pierce growled, standing up, angrily throwing his hair back.

“Then I can arrange for another family to take you in, or if you are that desperate I can also bring you back home, but today you will still take your potions and obey, as you are staying with me.”

Harry sat motionless, wide-eyed watching the scene play out before his eyes.

“See, you don’t want to take care of us either! Why don’t you just let me go see my cousin and then let me and Harry go!” Pierce nearly screamed, angrily throwing his chair back.

“Mr. Rodgers, pick that chair back up, right now!” Snape said, placing a hand on the table rather close to Harrys trembling shoulders.

“NO! I want to see Ter!” Pierce screeched sight blurry by the tears that were caught in his eyes.

“And your chances of that happening are lessening by the minute, now unless you want to spend the rest of your day in your room, you pick up that chair and lower your voice when you are talking with me!” Snape said sternly, eyes on the boy, not allowing his own anger to show anymore.

Had the boy been that way at home to?

“No! Screw you! I’m going to look for Ter!” Pierce yelled, flying out from around the table, towards te door which Harry had almost gone through that very morning, only a few minutes ago, actually, but it seemed as if days had passed, the boy noticed numbly.

“If you even set one foot out of my quarters little boy, then you will not like what I will do, do you know what I mean?” Snape said, voice low, lips thin, nearly speaking through his teeth. Pierce seemed to falter as he got close to the door, stopping just as his hand touched the knob.

Snape wordlessly flicked his wrist, locking the door, just to be safe, he thought. The school was crowded, having a ten year old upset boy storming from his quarters would cause a havoc!

“I just want to see him.”

“And you will, I will not attempt to keep you from your cousin, but you need to do as you are told. You have not eaten correctly in months, your immune system is nearly gone, you are tired, and exhausted and most probably also in pain. These potions here will help with that, and you will take them, we can get it done the easy way, or the hard way.”

“The hard way?”

“Yes, I will immobilize you and pour them down your throat, but I will get you to drink them, rest assured.”

“Don’t you just have normal pills?”

“No, we aren’t muggles, now sit your butt down in that chair and eat your breakfast,” Snape said, seeing that the fight had left the boy. What was going through the boys head anyway? Did he really think that screaming and throwing a fit would get him anything? Did he really think that if he just screamed loud enough, or fought long enough that he would give in? Was that perhaps the way it went with the boy at home?
Was that what the boy had learned? That if he fought and screamed, that he was given into? But how was the boy abused then? That just didn’t make any sense!

Pierce slowly walked back towards the table, shoulders slumped, making a large bend around the spot where Snape stood, a hand unconscieously grasping his behind, almost causing Snape to smirk, so yes, he had understood the threat, and he was worried. But the boy had come back, had not cowered and lifted his hands to shield his organs.

He knew that the boy had been killed by his father so many years ago, and had now seen the bruises, thus assuming that the boy had been equally as abused as Harry, would react in the same ways, why was he different? He himself had been much like Potter, well he hadn’t whispered all the time and flinched at any move, he was sure, but he knew that he surely would have never spoken to an adult in such a way!

It was ten minutes until Pierce had finally cleared of his plate and under tears and much whining downed the potions, gagging with tears in his eyes, nearly unable to drink the stomach soother and then down the juice.  Harry had been watching with wide eyes, sausages still mainly untouched.

“Mr. Potter, you will clear off  those eggs and eat that sausage, you young man, come here!” He said sternly to the boy who was still at the other side of the table, bottom lip sucked into his mouth. The boy edged around the corner slowly, hands held out somewhat in front of him, as if to push against him in case he charged at him.

“Do you see the corner by the bookcase and armchair?”

“Yes, sir,” Pierce answered voice full of dread.

“Go and make friends with it, and if there is not a change of behavior in you soon then you will become very great friends with it, you understand, yes?”

“Yes, sir. Will you get Ter?”

“I would, but I can’t he is right now already in his exam,” Snape said, not surprised when the blonde whipped around, face distorted.

“You tricked me!”

“No, you have to blame yourself. Had you taken your potions when I asked, had you eaten when I told you to, had you not fought me on every step, then there would have been enough time. With your continuous fighting and screaming you cost yourself that time, and now he is in his exam and there is nothing I can do.”

“You tricked me!” Pierce screamed again. “You are a jerk! I hate you!” He screamed, tears back in his eyes, stomping his right foot angrily into the ground, fists trembling at his sides.

“I am sorry you feel that way, but Pierce, if you-“

“Shut up! I’ll never talk to you again you are a liar!” Pierce screamed before he ran towards the door, hand on the knob, Snape didn’t even flinch. Pierce screamed even louder as he unsuccessfully twisted and turned it, pulling against the sturdy wood with all his might.

“Mr. Potter,” he said, turning around, finding the boy sitting glancing at his new friend in shock and wonder, mouth slightly open. “Will you please give me and your friend some privacy? Take your book to your room and read for a little while, I will let you know when you can come back out.” He said, voice calm, and watched as the blakchaired boy slowly got out of the chair and retrieved his book from the coffee table, eyes on the ranting boy who was still unsuccessfully pulling at the knob, kicking at the door, yelling words an eleven year old should not know, at least Snape thought so.
Snape waited until the blackhaired boy had gone into his room, with the door closed before he cast a silencio on the livingroom.

“Mr. Rodgers, you have one chance to end this tantrum, before I end it for you, and if I do that, then you will not only find yourself face first in the corner, but also with stinging buttocks, is that understood?”

“FUCK YOU!” Pierce screamed, running towards the next door, the door that opened to his private study.

“I want to get out of here!” Pierce screamed after seing that that door only lead to a windowless room, with no other door.

Severus said nothing as he slowly, determinately walked towards the boy, catching him by the arm as he screetched and tried to wrench himself free, angrily nails scratching over the back of his hand.

Great, he had second years gryffindors and slytherins to teach now and would be late, Snape noticed as his eyes lingered on the clock a few minutes.

Pulling the boy over to the corner with him was a fight, and he found himself nearly breathless when he finally arrived, that was until he pressed the boy against his thigh, hand between his shoulder blades, pressing him forwards until he could wrap his arm around the boys waist, nearly lifting him off his feet as he did so.

He hesitated a moment, before he steeled his resolve, pushing aside the nausea that was already building, bringing his hand down three times quickly in a row. It seemed as if in that instant, all fight left the boy, he went unnaturally still under his arm, and Snape was just about to relax and let the boy go when all of a sudden the boy twisted hard, emitting a new howl, loud enough to make Snape flinch somewhat and close his eyes young boy, there was nothing worse.

He brought his hand down again, a little harder, knowing that this smack would surely sting, and perhaps even last for a few minutes, tasting bile.

“I think you realize that this is getting you nowhere, right?” HE asked, even as he brought his hand down once more, smartly smacking the top of the boys thigh when the boy pressed his elbow into his thigh hard enough to bruise, intenting to hurt him. The small howl that followed quickly assured him that this time Pierce had felt it.

“Now unless you want me to continue spanking, and rest assured I am not tired yet, you best calm down and lower your voice.” He said, but he felt disgusted with himself, how had this happened so fast? Why did he already have to do this? Wasn't there something else he could have done? Did he really have to go and spank a boy, who came from an abusive home? Was he not further damaging him? Destroying any chance of trust that could have been build?

The buy had stilled after the last smack, a smack Snape now doubted was even necessary.

“You will stand in this corner and not move out of it, until I come back, is that understood?”

“I don’t want to!”

“Is that understood pierce?” Severus asked again, tapping the boys bottom with his hand once more, hoping that the boy would understand the warning, hoping that he wouldn't have to smack him again.

“Yes, sir.” Pierce whimpered, taking a deep breath of relief when the arm around his waist loosened and he was allowed to straighten up again, one hand sneaking back to rub at his stinging buttock imedaitely.

“I will not be here, and yet I will know if you disobey, and there is magic that will smack your bottom again, so unless you want to find out just how much more that hurts, you keep your face in that corner, am I clear?”

“No, don’t do that!” Pierce immediately said, turning around somewhat, eyes watery, redrimmed.

“You won’t have to worry about it, if you do as you are told.”

“What if it smacks me even if I don’t move?”

“It won’t because I will be the one that smacks you magically from another room. And trust me, I will know.” He said, turning the boy back around by his shoulders.

He took a few steps back and muttered the spell, a ruler materializing out of thin air, hanging in the air some two feet behind the boy, just waiting for the boy to move out of the corner to administer a stinging thwack.

“I’m very disappointed in your behavior of this morning, and I never want to see a repeat of it. Stand in that corner and think about how you spoke to me, and why it was wrong, I will expect an apology when I return.” Snape finally said, before turning around and walking down the hallway towards Potters room, after knowing he slowly stuck his head in.

“Are you alright, Mr. Potter?” He asked, catching the boy eying his warily.

“Is Pierce okay?”

“Yes, he is standing in the corner. I would prefer it if you stayed your room for now, so he won’t get out of the corner. And do read a little further, it get’s more interesting as you get further.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will be back in about an hour,” Snape said, casting a quick tempus, before closing the door and sighing. He was ten minutes late to his class and if he were lucky half of them were still standing.

“Twenty points from Gryffindor Weasleys!” Snape growled as he quickly grabbed both crazily laughing boys by the shoulder shaking them shortly.

“But they started it!” Fred immediately cried out, pointing at the students of his house. Most of them immediately looked away, only the bravest keeping their eyes up to meet his, well aware that he could tear apart their mind if he only wanted to, t find the truth.

“Yes, and I am Merlin, Flint, Hospital Wing, Mister George Weasley, you too! And no more trouble out of the two of you on the way there, I will know, and if I find out then you will be serving detention Thursday night, is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Flint growled as he turned around and strode from the dungeons, one hand still covering his forehead where the worst pimples had spread, reading Snake. Quite impressive magic, Snape thought, but wasn’t willing to comment on it in front of everyone.

Harry sat in his new room, not really reading like he was supposed to, but rather listening to the angry mumbling that came from the living room, carrying all the way to his bedroom. He was tempted to go out and speak with his friend more than once, but every time he put a leg out of bed he remembered the face of the Professor and how angry and upset he had looked when Pierce had screamed at him during breakfast. It was about an hour until he finally worked up the courage and quietly crept down the hallway, lingering at the corner that led to the living room, eyes on his friend, who was standing in the corner, head leaning against the wall, fingers lazily scratching at the heavy stone. It was only when he was about to say something that he saw the ruler floating behind his friend, at buttock height.

“Why is there a ruler floating behind your butt?”

“Because it smacks me when I turn around or try walking out,” Pierce said, bottom lip pouting out. The ruler had struck him twice, hard, right across his buttocks when he had attempted to turn and lean against the wall with his back, and then again when he had moved to sit down, his legs growing tired.

“That’s mean,” Harry smirked, walking closer, until he finally stood next to his friend, leaning his shoulder against the wall, taking in the redrimmed eyes.

“I’m sorry, you know, about being that way,” Pierce finally said, voice small, sighing against the wall.

“Why were you that way?”

“I was angry, and afraid that he wouldn’t let me see Ter, I mean, we went all this way just to find him, and now he won’t let me see him,” Pierce said softly, one snaking back again to rub the two throbbing stinging imprints of the ruler.

“You didn’t listen to him at all, not even this morning when he just wanted you take the medicine,” Harry observed quietly, finger also scratching at the wall, much like Pierce’s did.

“Yeah, I don’t know why, I guess I just wanted to see how he was when he was really angry, you know?”

“Why would you do that? See, you ended up getting hit,” Harry said, frowning, scratching a little harder.

“Well, I didn’t know that then, you know, he’s just a teacher, and they aren’t allowed to hit anymore. But then, he didn’t even hit hard, really. I bet my butt isn’t even pink, well the ruler really hit hard though, he didn’t even hit that hard.”

“So how does that work?”

“He said he controlled it, and he would know if I turned around and then it would smack me," Pierce said, carefully turning his head to look at it.

“That’s mean,” Harry said again.

“You think you can take it and hold it, so I can turn around, I mean the moment I lean against it, it can’t really smack me.” Pierce observed and Harry thought shortly.

“You think that that’s a good idea? If he says he sees it, he’d see me here too.”

“I stood her for hours, my feet really hurt, and it already smacked me, twice.”

Harry hesitated, before he turned slightly, carefully stretching out his hand, until his fingers finally brushed the even wood.

“You sure?” Harry asked and waited until Pierce nodded.

“Yeah, just hold it until I turned around.” And Harry did, grasping the wood hard, with both hands, nearly yelping with fright when the ruler all of a sudden jerked forward, before stopping again just as suddenly, having almost dislocated his shoulders.

“Thanks mate,” Pierce sighed, back pressed against the wall, wary eyes on the ruler, “why did you wait so long until you came out?”

“He told me to read, and stay out of the living room. I was afraid I’d come out here an he’d still be here, you know?”

Pierce nodded after a few seconds of consideration.

“So what do you want to do if he comes back?”

“We promised we’d never split up, remember? We’d always stay together?” Harry asked, hopeful eyes on his friend.

“Yes, we’ll always stay together.” Pierce said firmly, bright blue eyes on him, smile around them, brightening them up.

They stood like that for ten more minutes until Harry started to get nervous again.

“Maybe you should turn back around, just in case he comes back, you know? I’ll hold it again until you turned,” he said, hands grasping the wood again hard.

“But what if it smacks me when I turned my back?”

“How often does it smack?”

“Once, but really hard.”

“Well, I could stand right behind you and let it smack me once, kay?”

“No, you don’t have to get smacked, I was the one that wanted to turn around.”

“But you already got smacked with it.” Harry said, voice soft.

“Yeah, but that was because I was a brat,” Pierce said, slight tremor, before nodding at his friend.

“Hold it only if it let’s you, don’t get smacked because of me,” he said before turning around, eyes screwed shut and bottom clenched, but the ruler only jerked once, nearly dislocating Harrys shoulder once more before falling still.

“There,” Harry said before letting go, watching it for a few seconds.

“I’ll just stand right here, next to you. We’ll just stand together and won’t talk, okay?”

“Okay,” Pierce breathed, watching his friend with attentive eyes as he stood next to his right shoulder, leaning his head against the cold stone as well, left finger scratching at the stone right next to his right.

“He was telling the truth, you know? About your fame? The guy in the bus recognized you,” Pierce said after a few seconds of calming scratching.

“Yeah, and he seemed really happy to see me, I didn’t even know him,” Harry said quietly scratching as his forehead, fingernail tracing his scar.
“My aunt said I got the scar the night my parents died, do you think I got it from when he tried to kill me?” Harry asked, eyes on the wall as he was thinking, trying to remember, but coming up with nothing but memories of his time at his aunt and uncle, a terrible time.

“Maybe, you could ask him, you know? He seems to know a lot about it,” Pierce said, before biting his lower lip.

“He was dark, he was one his followers, the guy that killed my parents.”

“Yeah,” Pierce said softly, biting his lower lip.

“And he told him about the thing that made him go after me, so he got them killed.” Harry added after a few seconds, finger back to scratching at the wall.

“Yeah,” Pierce repeated, not daring to say anything, this was something he didn’t understand enough about, didn’t know enough about, and it was such a delicate topic. They lived with the person that got his friends parents killed, they lived with a man that worked for the guy that tried killing Harry.

“But he said he was young and stupid, and that he realized just how wrong he was and that he tried saving us,” Harry said after a few seconds, scratching slowing down somewhat, finger tip prickling slightly.

“He seemed really sorry too,” Pierce added, thinking.

“And he was really nice, picking us up and taking us here. He even took us shopping and bought all our stuff, all we’d need for school. This will be the first time ever I’ll go to school with everything I need. I’ve never before had all the books and folders,” Harry said softly, head spinning as he tried to make sense of everything.

“He thinks we are living with him now,” Pierce said, sounding doubtful.

“Why would he want that?”

“I don’t know, he knows that my cousin would take care of us, I know he would. And he still got us rooms and everything.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, scratching speeding up again.

“We will sleep in separate rooms,” Pierce all of a sudden noticed, something in his voice that sounded very close to fear.

“Oh,” Harry said, a pang in his chest.

Having not slept alone in nearly a month, having been held for the same time, being woken when he suffered a nightmare and knowing that he wasn’t the only eleven year old with nightmares, had been nice, he loved it, to be honest.

“I can just sneak into your room when he sleeps, or you can come into mine,” Pierce said quickly, seeing the lost look in his friends face, the need to protect him growing strong again.

“He won’t be angry?”

“He might, but I won’t care, he can smack me every morning for all I care,” Pierce said bravely, punching his friends shoulder lightly.

“Yeah, he can smack you for all I care too,” Harry teased. The mere thought of being hit spread goosebumps all over him, made his stomach churn and nearly flip over in fright.

“Maybe he’ll understand, he placed us on the same bed here,” Pierce said beginning his scratching as well.

Snape stood in the door, watching the two boys, both facing the corner next to each other, quietly talking to each other. When he had told Potter to stay in his room, he had known that the boy wouldn’t, and he also knew that Pierce would try to get out of the corner at least once, though he wasn’t too sure about that. He had no way of knowing if he had, the only way to find out was either to dive into the boys mind, or pull down his pants to see if he had been smacked by the ruler. The mutter of the boys was to quiet for him to hear, so he simply stood for a few seconds, watching their body language, seing Harry going from tense to relaxed and back to tense again, much like his friend. When he finally knew that he should make his presence known, he smirked, flicking his wrist, the ruler first smacking the blonde on the bottom and then the blackhaired boy, who was turning around just at that moment, yelping in fright and then staring at him in shock for a split of a second, before his eyes dropped to the ground.

“Was I unclear when I told you to stay out of the livingroom for now? And you Mr. Rodgers, was I unclear when I said that you were supposed to stand in the corner and think, instead I find you talking and disobeying?”

“That ruler really hits way to hard!” Pierce whimpered, rubbing at his bottom eyes again filled with tears.

“Well, had you obeyed then you wouldn’t have gotten smacked so often!”

“It smacked me only for turning around and-“

“Standing in the corner means that you are supposed to face it, not walk away from it, turn around or sit down,” Snape said, catching the look Pierce gave him. So yes, the boy had tried to sit down?

“But I guess the ruler brought the message across, hm?” Pierce sighed, before he nodded, eyes flicking over to his friend shortly.

“And you Mr. Potter, did you read your book like I said?”

“I started sir,” Harry said softly, eyes still on the armchair, legs shaking slightly. That smack had barely stung, but he was embarrassed and slightly nervous. Was the man mad? Would he get punished?

“Had you done as you were told, then you wouldn’t have gotten smacked,” he said softly before vanishing the ruler and beckoning the blonde boy towards himself.

“Do you have anything to say to me Mr. Rodgers?”

Pierce blushed somewhat as he stood four feet from the fully grown man who was again dressed all in black. “I shouldn’t have acted the way I have, sir. I should have just taken my potions and not screamed at you,” he said scratching as his thigh for a short moment, “it was disrespectful, and I shouldn’t have used the language I used either.”

“Yes, it was very disrespectful. And I do not tolerate Disrespect, Disobedience or Dishonesty. You two best keep that in mind, I do react most unfavorable if you decide to do any of that, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Both said, Pierce sealing his words with a firm nod, while Harry didn’t even lift his eyes, but he had no doubt that his yes was just as meaningful as Pierces was.

“Very well, I will fix lunch now, during that time you can go both grab your introduction to the wizarding world books and sit down in the living room. I want the two of you to read at least the first three chapters until dinner tonight yes?”

“Can’t we go play something first? I-“

“You Pierce, can go and turn right back into that corner if you want to discuss with me right now.” Snape cut the boy off, who gave him an angry glare but then stomped down the hallway, Harry following behind, much more quietly than the first boy, throwing him a glance shortly.

“Mr. Potter, come over here for a moment please,” Snape said suddenly, causing the boy to stop dead in his tracks before he turned slowly and walked back into the living room.

“In my study please, I’d like to have a word with you privately.” He said, pointing towards the door, with a flick of his wrist, opening it, so the boy knew which door he was speaking of.

Snape waited until the boy had gone into the study and then until Pierce had returned looking around once.

“Where’s Harry?” The blonde immediately asked, eyes flying around the quarters before resting on him.

“He didn’t do anything wrong!” Pierce immediately said, dropping his new book onto the couch.

“I never said he did, and did I not tell you to take more care of your books? And why did that take so long anyway? It should have taken you less than twenty seconds to grab a book.”

“I didn’t know which one it was,” Pierce said, frowning at him.

“How could you not know- did you not clean up your things like I had asked you to?”

“You didn’t ask, you commanded me to-“

“Okay, enough of this, go to your room and clean up your clothes and other things, and then you can stay in there and read. If you can not speak with me politely then you won’t speak at all. Go,” Severus said sternly, pointing one long bony finger into the hallway.

“I didn’t do anything!” Pierce immediately cried out, throwing his arms up in anger.

“You better learn fast how to speak with me respectfully or you’ll be having a lot of alone time, and with alone time I mean alone time. Off you go, think about how best to speak with me from now on.” Snape said, thrusting his finger out again.

“What is your problem? I barely said anything!”

“What is my problem? Is that how you should be speaking to your elders? To your future Professor? To an adult you are living with? What is my problem, did you seriously just ask me that? Pierce, go to your room before I get that ruler out again to give you a reason to hurry!”

“Sure, beat me into listening faster, that always works!” Pierce yelled, grabbing his book, he ran from the room, slamming his door shut. Snape stood silently, pinching the bridge of his nose tightly, taking a deep breath and holding it in for three seconds, before repeating that four, to five times, making sure he could keep his face even before walking into the study.

Once he joined the boy though, he was slightly surprised to find him standing by the chair, stiffly, not moving, eyes on the desk in panic.

“Harry, please sit down, I’d like to talk with you. We will be talking, nothing more, no need to panic," Severus said, keeping his distance as he walked around the desk and took a seat in his comfortable chair, waiting until the boy stopped fidgeting in the chair opposite of him.

“Okay, I’ll be asking you some questions, and I expect you to be honest with me. If you really don’t want to answer something, then tell me so, but don’t make up a lie, yes?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, let’s start this simple. I might be asking some questions once in a while that might seem stupid, or to simple, some others might be very painful to think about or very difficult to answer, I would still like for you to take some time, think about the question and then answer it as truthfully as you can, but only if you feel comfortable, I don’t want you to feel threatened or forced at any time, yes?”

“Yes, sir.” Harry repeated, eyes on his knees.

“What’s your full name?”

“Harry James Potter.”

“What’s your birthday?”

“June 31st,” Harry answered again, as quick as the question shot out.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Green, I think.”

“Your favorite number?”

“I don’t really have one,” Harry answered truthfully, favorite number?

“Favorite song?”

“I don’t really listen to music.”

“Favorite Movie?”

“I didn’t watch a lot of TV,” Harry answered again.

“What is your favorite food?”

“I think Spaghetti,” he answered thinking about the meals he had eaten that he hadn’t cooked himself, the school cafeterias spaghetti jumping to his mind first.

“Your favorite sound Harry?”

“The Ocean,” Harry said after a few seconds, thinking furiously, trying to be honest and yet careful.

“Your favorite smell?”

“I don’t know,” harry said after thinking quietly for a few seconds, there were so many things.

“Your favorite person?”

“Pierce,” Harry immediately said, that boy was the first friend he had ever had, the first person he had ever truly spoken with.

“Your most hated person?” Harry nearly said Vernon, but caught himself just in time, thinking, “I am not sure anymore,” he answered truthfully. He hated Vernon, he really did everything in him wanted to say that name, spit it out, but the fear or giving up the family secret was so strong that he most probably wouldn’t have been able to say it anyway. But now, he wasn’t sure anymore anyway. The man that had killed his parents, that Tom Riddle, that Voldemort, the Dark Lord or the guy that no one ever called by name, the man that had hunted him down as a baby to kill him before he became a threat.

“What was your most favorite subject?”

“Reading,” Harry said almost instantly, remembering the man books he had the chance to read, the worlds he had been able to build in his head after reading a few when he was locked into his closet for days, or into the shed.

“Which one didn’t you like at all?”

“Math, not because I was bad at it, but because the teacher didn’t like me,” Harry explained carefully, thinking of all the many times the man had called him up to the board to do a math problem, even though the man knew that Harry would be tripped by his cousin and his gang on the way up, scolding him for not doing his homework even though he knew that Harry had finished it in the lesson before already.

“What about your favorite game? What did you like to do when you were home?”

“I liked to imagine stories,” Harry answered truthfully.

“And when you went to play outside?”

“I didn’t,” Harry said carefully, glancing up shortly to watch the mans reaction to his words, but Snape was leaning back in his chair, watching him with attentive eyes, not showing any emotions on his face, something that made Harry feel slightly better, at least there was no anger or pity.

“What were your normal chores, Harry?”

“doing the dishes, cleaning up around the house,” Harry said carefully, thinking furiously. Normal chores, those were normal chores, right?

“And?”

“I don’t want to answer that,” Harry finally said, glancing up once more to gauge the mans reaction.

“Thank you, for being honest. Can you explain to me though why you don’t want to answer that?”

Harry sat quietly, head spinning as he tried to find an explanation that wouldn’t make him seem weird, wouldn’t show his mortification, “I did everything there, cleaned everything, I cooked and everything.”

“Thank you,” Snape said. Interesting, the boy apparently didn’t want to embarrass himself. He would rather admit that he was treated worse than a house elf, than admit that he felt embarrassed?

“What chores did your cousin have to perform? You were the same age, right?”

“Nothing, sir.”

“So you were the only one cleaning?”

“My aunt, she cleaned a lot too,” Harry said after a few seconds of silence.

“How about your uncle?”

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Harry immediately said, eyes not looking up this time, not wanting to see the reaction and not truly caring either, he would not be talking about that!

Snape nodded to himself, so the uncle was the one he should be focusing on for now, the uncle was apparently the person Harry had learned to fear most.

“What is the worst thing you can remember doing, ever? The most disobedient thing?”

“I ran away,” harry said softly, “With Pierce.”

“Nothing else?”

“I don’t think, not really. Sometimes I forgot a chore, or didn’t get it done in time.”

“What happened after things like that, when you didn’t complete a chore?”

“I’d be send to my room, mostly.”

“With dinner?”

“No, sir.” Harry answered after a moment of hesitation, that seemed like a normal punishment, didn’t it?

“And then? Would that be it? For how long would you be send to your room?”

Harry looked up quickly, before dropping his eyes again, knowing that that was not a question he could answer, knowing that if he answered that, then the man would know, and rat on him, Vernon would find out and then surely kill him.

“You don’t have to answer,” Severus said after a few seconds of silence, voice calm, but on the inside he was boiling.

“Harry, look at me for a few seconds, please,” he finally said, knowing that he had only a few more minutes until lunch would officially be over and he had his NEWTS to teach until Dinner time. “You don’t know me, you don’t know if you can trust me, you don’t know when I get angry, or how I react. But you should know and trust that I don’t lie, that I keep my promises. And I promise you right now, that if you speak up and tell me about your life with your relatives that you will never go back there. I can promise you right now that I am trying my very best to keep you right here, so you won’t have to go back for at least another year. But there is also only so much I can do, to make this permanent I will have to try reasoning with the services and authorities, and I tell them that I have some suspicions, that I saw your bruises and welts, and then they ask me what happened, and there is nothing I can tell them.” Snape explained softly, seeing the boys eyes flicker looking at many spots close to his head, wanting to appear as if he looked at him, but never truly making eye-contact for more than a few seconds.

“So if I tell, then I can stay here?”

“If you tell, then you’ll never have to go back. I can’t promise you that you can stay here forever, school is normally closed to students over the summer. But I can promise you that if you speak up, then you’ll never go back to the Dursleys.”

They left the office a few seconds later, Harry not having said much more after that, mostly just thinking about what exactly the promise the man had made entailed.

Harry sat in the living room quietly, reading the book a minute later when Snape ordered a meal from the house elves, making sure that there wasn’t to much on the plates, and that there was enough vegetables. So when he finally called Pierce back into the living room he only had a few more minutes left until his NEWT classes would start.

“Come on, let’s have some lunch,” Snape said invitingly sitting down at the head of the table himself, pouring himself and the boys a glass of milk.

Snape himself was unusually quiet as he sat with his NEWT students, cups filled with tea and scones on the table, the conversations loud as each and everyone of them went over their exam of the day, discussing a hard task one Examiner had set, discussing the hairy chin of a woman and the bad breath of another examiner, Snape only listened with half an ear as his eyes were on Terrance Rodgers who was discussing just as much, but the boy seemed distant, his eyes troubled.

“Alright, now I’m interested, what are all of you planning to do from here on out?” Severus finally said, eyes flying from Terrance to the other students.

“Dragon Taming,” Charlie Weasley immediately said, eyes bright with excitement, the brightest of the Weasleys, snape immediately thought. While Bill had been awesome in school, scoring the best grades, he had lacked the street smarts Charlie and the twins have had.

“So you got accepted?”

“Yeah, going off almost immediately after school ends, will be going home to the brood for a few days first though. Gotta buy myself some security equipment and then I’m off.”

“Why did you stay in school so long? I heard they accept you without NEWS,” Laura said disdainfully, a student from his house, Snape observed frowning.

“Because I wanted to have as many possibilities as possible, and I have now. But I’m still gonna do what I think will excite me most.”

“Dragontaming?” Laura asked with raised eyebrows, a sneer on her face.

“Yes, something that requires skill and personality. So what can you do?” Charlie asked, lips bit tightly together.

“I’ll go to University, I’ll study Law,” Laura said immediately, haughtily. Snape was almost amused by that, as were some other students who tried to hide their smiles. Yes, Laura, you totally walked into that one, Snape thought. Charlie was right though, Laura really was a dumb nut, with no personality whatsoever, like most of the deatheaters children were, he knew.

They went along the line, most of his slytherins going to University, while most Gryffindors went into jobs or trainings immediately after school was out. He only had one Hufflepuff, Tyler Long, who was planning to become a healer.

“How about you Ter?” Charlie asked after a few seconds of silence, when everyone had spoken and only he stayed quiet.

“I just got a few jobs for now, going to earn a bit of money before I go to University, enjoy the real world,” Ter said jokingly, but his eyes weren’t laughing, he almost seemed distant.

“I would not advise that Mr. Rodgers, a scholarship for Prentice-Potions University does not get offered often,” Severus said to the boy who opened his eyes wide.

“How did you know?”

“I send in the letter of recommendation. I will not allow a student of mine, who has such talent, let it go to waste,” Severus said forcefully, his face daring the boy to talk back to him, to discuss it. Inside he was boiling, so the boy really was ready to give up a once in a life-time chance? Had the boy never even considered that there were other opportunities?

“You should have asked me first, I can’t go yet!” Rodgers immediately said, sitting up straighter, painfully aware of the fact that he had everyones attention.

“I was approached if I had any promising students this year, and you are the most promising. I always advice that you don’t take breaks from school, it is much harder getting back into the student-mode after being out of it for a certain amount of time. Go to Prentice, get your degree

and then laze off for a bit.”

“I wasn’t going to laze off, sir.” Terrance said, eyes flicking from him towards Charlie who looked at him with a deep frown.

“University doesn’t start for another six weeks, you have enough time to just enjoy yourself for a bit,” Severus said, voice hard.

“I can’t go before the first of September,” Ter said, fisting his hands underneath the table, everybody was silent as they watched the show.

“We will speak about that in my office in just a moment,” Severus finally said before glancing around the students. “Well, we are done now, you are no longer my potions students. Seven years, all grown up,” he said after a few seconds eying Charlie who blushed somewhat.

“You keep your head in the game, focus on what needs to be done and do it, you must have learned at least that with me. Get things done, you have enough time to laze about and go partying on the weekends, don’t throw your lifes away for that. Stay focused.” He said, getting up, “If any of you ever need anything, then you can always write, floocall or drop by, you know where I am during the school year. If there is anything really pressing, then send me a message and I will meet you.” He said, pushing his stool to the table.

“You are not quite as annoying as you were two years ago,” he admitted looking at Charlie especially who reveled in the attention somewhat.

He had always up to this moment thought that the man had hated him and his siblings more than anything. Calling him a know-it-all and teachers pet, and handing out detentions and taking points just for looking in the wrong direction-

“Take care of yourself, and I would appreciate a get together in a few years, five years maybe? Just to know where we all stand now? I’ll reach out to you, if you want.” He said and that evoked an entirely new discussion, from which he excused himself, before stopping behind Terrance Rodgers chair.

“You, come with me.” He said sternly, hand on the boys shoulder who tensed up only shortly, intent on saying no, not wanting to discuss it, knowing he was making a stupid mistake, knowing that he was giving away a one-time chance!

“You will be going to Prentice, Rodgers, and if I have to beat you there, are we clear?”

“I can’t!” Terrance immediately said, before blushing as the Professor slammed the door shut loudly, startling him.

“Your cousin will need you to have a decent job when he get’s out of here in a few years, so focus on that. Get your schooling straight, get good grades, get a good job and then take him in. You are seventeen. That is no age to raise a child!” Severus said sternly, before holding still, the look on the young mans face to good to pass up.

“You know about lil’ P?” Terrance asked, feeling his heart beat faster.

“Yes, he is right now in my quarters, napping, or so he should.”

“He is eleven,” Terrance smirked after a few seconds, knowing his cousin and knowing that the boy would be doing everything to do exactly the opposite of what the man had told him to do, only to see how far he could push him. He had done that to him and his parents when he had stayed with them during the Christmas break, causing his father to almost go through with his threat and spank that bottom until it was black and blue, well metaphorically speaking of course.

“Yes, and he needs to learn to listen when he is told what to do.”

“So why? What happened? Why is he with you, since when?”

“He ran away from home,” Severus started watching the boy for reactions. “He ran into another boy, the two of them then ran for it together. Your cousin was intent on finding you, and he remembered that you had once mentioned a teacher in your letters, me. So Pierce went to find a Snape in Scotland,” Severus said, even as he took of his heavy teaching cloak hanging it by the door.

“They found Hogwarts?”

“No, a muggle found them, and asked a neighbor for help, she’s a witch and knew of me, so contacted me. I went to pick them up. They arrived at school here yesterday night, have been treated by the mediwitch and are now supposed to take a nap in their rooms.”

“Treated by the meditwitch?”

“They have been travelling for pretty much a month now, I think. They were very malnourished and dehydrated. Not to mention the bruises and welts your cousin was wearing,” Severus said, not missing the short pained expression of the young man, before a look of understanding covered his face.

“I wondered why it took him so long to reply this time. Normally it took only two to three weeks, now it’s been a month.”

“So can you tell me what was going on at the boys home? You should know that we can help him, that there are thigns that can be done so he won’t have to go back. But your cousin is not speaking up, he has given me no answer as to why he was bruised or why he ran. So I am standing at a pretty bad point here. I know that he can’t go back, but without something I can’t keep him away from his family.”

“His step-father. My aunt, his mother, she married this man six years or so ago I think. Everything was okay back then, She was a monster for a mother though, well that’s at least what my mom says. Didn’t pay attention to the boy whatsoever. He would have to go through hell and back to get her to look at him. She’s an alcoholic and just a nutcase. Well Uncle Tobias, he seemed really great at first, perfect for Pierce. Gave him some boundaries and made sure he improved in school and everything. But then he gave up too. Pierce is a handful, his mother ruined him. Well she ran, like a year or so ago, and left him with Uncle Tobias. That’s when things started to get worse, Uncle Tobias who at first kind of took care of Pierce had to work two jobs, to keep the house going and everything and to feed himself and Pierce, well then my aunt did something with his bank or so, with his credit cards, and he was in a whole load of debt before they figured it out and canceled everything. That’s when the hitting started. Nothing bad at first, Pierce would act up and Uncle Tobias would smack him on the bum, then ignore him again and after a few weeks perhaps spank him once or so. Well things got worse, Uncle Tobias started loosing it, now he is beating the boy up when he get’s into trouble or speaks to loud or anything. Pierce said the man doesn’t speak with him at all anymore, only beats him when he speaks out of turn or anything."

”So why did Pierce keep acting up?”

“My ma’ says it’s the only way he knows how to get attention.”

“Does your ma’ know that your cousin is in trouble?”

“Yes, and she would want to help him but my da’ he is really ill, and when Pierce came to stay with us this Christmas it was too much for either of them to handle. And my ma’ is old now too, you know that she got hurt badly when I was a lil’ kid, and my dad never recovered either, so things are hard either way. They couldn’t take care of him. My da’ said that he couldn’t promise to not lash out at the boy either.”

“And you think you could handle him all by yourself?”

“there is nothing else I can do. I promised him, and he is just ten, still so little. He doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. He doesn’t understand that the way he acts leads to him getting hit harder and harder until it finally bruises.”

“So you think he is responsible for the abuse?”

“I think that he forces ones hand. I nearly beat him up three times during Christmas break, but how can I discipline a ten year old? I’m only seventeen.”

“Okay, Ter, sit down.” Severus finally said, motioning towards the chair.

The boy immediately obeyed, the look of surprise on his face nearly causing Snape to smirk. Yes, he never addressed students by their first names, not to mention their nicknames. The boy looked tensed, tired, worn out, the bags under his eyes larger than they had been the weeks before.

“I have an offer for you,” Snape started carefully even as he poured himself and the boy some tea.

“You have been offered a full scholarship for Prentice, and there s no way that you are going to pass this up, or so help me Merlin, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Terrance said quickly, the seriousness in the mans voice had his stomach flutter somewhat. Professor Snape had never been a man to mess with, to discuss with, or to disobey.

“Very well, you will be going to that school, and if you do well and maintain your grade average, then I will take care of your cousin.”

“My grade average?”

“Yes, no A’s, and never more than one E on your final report, do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes, sir. But Prentice is the hardest there is,” Ter said, hesitation in his voice.

“That matters not, I know that you are fully capable of achieving top grades,” Severus said sternly. “I expect to see your reports for ever trimester,” he added after a few seconds, “you are welcome to stop by if you need help."

Ter sat still, the man was offering to take lil’ P’ of his hands, to give the boy a home and let him go to school, and his only expectation was passing grades?

“What else do you expect from me?” Ter asked after a few seconds, thoughts spinning as he tried to understand why the man would just offer something like that.

“Nothing, Mr. Rodgers, I expect you to succeed. And perhaps a night of babysitting once in a while.” Snape said softly, and Terrance sat doubtfully.

“But what about money? I mean, he needs food, and clothes and school supplies and all, I’ve been saving a lot, so I could-“

“Buy yourself school supplies? Yes, you could. Pierce is a wizard, we have funds for that, charitable organizations and what not. You need not worry yourself with that. The only thing you need to worry about right now, is that you sign this paper right here, and then hurry up to the owlery. Let’s just hope that they still have a dorm room left for you.” Snape said, as he pushed a role of parchment towards the boy.

“But what- what if you change your mind? What if he is you know, too much?”

“He won’t be, I’m surrounded by children all day, three-hundred days a year. I will be able to take care of him over the summer break. I’ll have more authority over him that way as well. Everything will be okay, you are seventeen, you should not worry about a ten year old boy. The only future you should be concerned about is your own.”

“Are you sure?”

“Do you know me to lie?”

“No, sir.”

“Good, sign this, and send this off. Then come back down here, you’ll have dinner with us tonight.”

“So that’s why you weren’t here yesterday? And you weren’t at any meals today?”

“Yes, that and we, the Professors, normally don’t come out when our subject is tested. Students tend to be so nervous, that they bombard us with too many questions, and then you guys get even more nervous. So I stayed down here.”

“Makes sense, is your passwort still the same sir?”

“Yes, they boys are allowed out of their rooms at four.”

“Who is the other boy? Does he have siblings here?”

“No, but hurry now, you want that letter to arrive before the Principle retires for the night.”

Snape pressed the towel to his damp face. The cold water had seemed like a sensible idea at first. Something to wake him up, to clear up his thoughts, to still his racing pulls. But in the end, it had helped only for a second. The moment he padded his face dry the anger came racing back. Both boys now stood in two separate corners, Potter stood stock still, while Pierce every once in a while mumbled something before he angrily kicked at the wall.

“When I say quiet time, I mean for you to lay in bed and red. Or sleep. Not go through my quarters, touch things that aren’t yours. Destroy my personal property and make a total mess out of your rooms. What were you doing here?” Snape finally snapped when he thought he could at least control himself enough to not shake one of them to death.

“Potter, turn around!” He finally nearly shouted and the boy whipped around eyes wide, hands trembling at his sides.

“What were you doing?”

“Playing,” he finally whispered after a few seconds, voice shaking in fear.

“Playing? Playing?” Severus mumbled softly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “During your nap-time? Or quiet-time? I gave you multiple ideas, you could have slept, could have read, could have organized your desks, you could have drawn something, or even played one of those games in your rooms, by yourself. Yet I come back here, and my living room table is ruined, your room Potter is a total disaster. And you Pierce, you never cleaned it! What were you doing in here?” He asked again, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling his blood pressure rise again.

“Pierce was in his room,” Harry finally said, voice shaking, voice high pitched in his fear.

“And you?”

“I was reading, and then, well I read about this spell.” Harry said, blushing, backing even further into the corner, as if he was trying to get swallowed by it.

“Spell?”

“the Levitating spell.”

“Wingardium Leviosa?”

“Yes,sir.”

“And?”

Harry whimpered glancing over to Pierce shortly who looked at him with wide eyes, firmly shaking his head when he thought Snape wasn’t looking.

“Okay out with it, now!” Snape finally snarled after another minute of silence.

“I just tried it!” Harry cried out, voice shaking.

“You just tried it?” Snape asked, rather surprised as he glanced around.

“Yes, sir.”

“And this happened?”

“Well, sort of.”

“Mr. Potter, the entire story, right now.”

“Well, I tried that spell, and when it worked, well then I tried the others too.”

“Which others?”

“The others from the books,” Harry said carefully, the calm voice of the Professor somehow reassuring, the wonder in the mans voice taking his fear to some extent.

“And you Mr. Rodgers?”

“He just came out when you started yelling,” Harry immediately hurried to say, throwing a apologetic look at his friend.

“Mr. Rodgers, I asked you!” Snape said sternly throwing the blackhaired boy a warning look.

“I was sleeping, and then you yelled.” Pierce admitted after a few seconds of hesitation.

“Very well, you may go and finish cleaning your bedroom, Mr. Potter, study with me!” Snape said, before motioning for the boy to follow him and firmly closing the door behind the two of them.

“I didn’t think it would work,” Harry mumbled quietly after a minute or so of silence.

“It shouldn’t have worked. The average wizard is in desperate need of a wand to perform the most simple spells. I myself have limited power if I am without my wand. Barely enough to safe my hide if in danger.” Snape said calmly as he took his seat behind his desk, before pulling his wand from his holster and placing it on the table. “When we were in diagon alley I purposefully did not get you and your friend a wand, as I thought I could keep the two of you from destroying my quarters that way. I had not thought either of you powerful enough, or rather experienced enough to even manage the most simple spell without a wand. Nor had I ever thought that you two would really attempt,” Snape continued as he watched the black haired boy take a seat carefully. “I had thought that I could have the two of you study the theory of most of your future lessons, and then perhaps towards the end of the summer start practicing the more practical side. This I see now, was an error on my part. When I offer the information of spells and jinxes and hexes, not to mention potions, I should have placed some ground rules.”

“I don’t want to stop studying,” Harry said quickly his eyes on the mans wand which was laying on the desk, waiting for him to take it and try some magic spells.

“I am very glad to hear that.” Snape nearly smiled as he watched the boy, his fingers itching to grasp that wand, Snape knew the feeling. The desire to learn, the desire to try and test yourself, test what you knew.

“But I need you to listen to me now, Mr. Potter. Magic can be very dangerous, that is why young wizards and witches are send to school, to learn the correct use, if every child simply played around and attempted without instruction and supervision then chaos would soon follow. Therefore I will give you and Pierce rules. The reason though, why I needed to speak with you privately is, that I would prefer it if you told no one ever that you attempted to perform those spells without a wand. It is very unusual that you were successful in your tries. And it is best if you keep that to yourself for now, do you understand?”

“Pierce and I don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“He I your best friend, and I understand that, and I don’t expect you to lie to him. If you wish to tell him, then you may. But if you plan on doing so, then please tell me now, because then I will call him here as well.”

Harry sat still for a few seconds, thoughts racing as fast as his heart still was, if not even faster, fingers damp with cold sweat. “So if he doesn’t keep it a secret and tells people, then what?”

“Having a secret power is something that will keep you safe in the long run. Just imagine you are in a fight, or duel. There is a spell which disarms people. If somebody took your wand from you, and you were facing death, and you could then defend yourself without your wand, it could safe your life. If people knew this beforehand, they could anticipate your move and thus your element of surprise would be spoiled.”

“Like if that Voldemort-“

“I would prefer if you not spoke his name here-“

“It’s not even his name, it’s that stupid name he gave himself.”

“Still, that name makes me very uncomfortable.”

“I don’t- well okay. If Riddle decides-“

“Can you not just say he-who-must-not-be-named like everyone else?” Snape asked, the desire to itch his dark mark strong now.

“But that’s silly. Fearing him gives him more power.”

“Making a mockery of him is not a wise choice.”

“He wanted me dead anyway, and if what you say is true and he is still out there, then he most probably still wants me dead, right?”

“You should not trouble yourself with that just yet,” Snape said carefully, those imploring green eyes which met his just briefly nearly shredding his soul.

“But it’s true, right? That prophecy thing said I would be stronger than him, so he decided to kill me as a baby, when I wasn’t a threat. Then someone hid me away so he couldn’t find me. If he is still out there, and if he is crazy then he will surely try again, not?”

“Possibly.” Snape finally admitted, curious as to the boys reaction.

“You see, so if he wants me dead anyway, then I can call him Voldemort.”

“People will not like it.”

“One should face what they fear.”

“Easier said than done,” Snape answered, waiting patiently.

“He-who-must-not-be-named. That’s just stupid. Everyone still knows who you are talking about. And that just makes you more afraid, I mean, that makes him sound really creepy. Voldemort is a stupid name. And if his real name was Riddle, then that is what he should be called.”

“People here call you the boy who lived,” Snape observed quietly.

“That’s just as stupid. I was a baby, who knows why I survived. I mean, maybe he used a wrong spell or messed up or so. I messed up the spells today too, casting is hard, so maybe he just-“

“No one ever survived the killing curse, not before you and not since. The once he sought to kill, he killed, there were no survivors. He knew no mercy, no humanity. He not even hesitated when aiming his wand at a baby, at a woman. You are hailed as a hero, everybody knows you. It would be wise if you were aware of it, and of the reasons why. People see a savior in you, the promised savior. You ended the worst war the wizarding world has ever seen. We had many wars, and not one as brutal and as inhumane as the last.”

Harry sat thoughtfully, fingers holding onto his slacks tightly,back stiff, as his eyes stared at nothing in particular, his lips twitching once in a while.

“I stopped a man from killing me as a mere baby, yet I was not able to stopping my uncle from beating me.” He said, slowly, voice trembling, stuffing his fingers under his thighs, face paling somewhat before reddening tremendously.

“And that is nothing to be ashamed of,” Severus said slowly, choosing his words carefully, “there is something called survival mode, some children are never faced with any danger and thus don’t have to fall into it. Other children are faced with abusive parents, or relatives. They do whatever it takes to survive. You will never know what would have happened had you reacted, had you defended yourself, had you spoken up, had you hit back. You can call yourself a survivor now, you know that you kept yourself alive by behaving the way you behaved. By cowering, by lowering your voice, by staying invisible, by obeying. You knew how best to react to stay alive. You are a survivor and that is important.”

He kept his voice calm, void of emotion, he didn’t react even as the small boy wiped a hand across his face aggressively, shoulders trembling.

“The guy that send me there should have checked up on me.”

“Yes, he should have. Yet he thought that he had made the right choice, the safest choice.”

“Family does not mean love.”

“I know, and you know. Therefore we can safely say that neither of us will ever make that same mistake. Pierce knows too. The man that send you there now knows as well.”

“Do any other witches and wizards know, that their boy who lived you know, was hit?”

“No, and they won’t ever find out unless you let them.”

“What if my relatives say something?”

“They wouldn’t, if they did, they would face time in prison. Child abuse is against the law, Mr. Potter. If they every mentioned to anyone how they treated you, then they would be locked away for many years.”

Harry was silent again as he absorbed that information. He had always known that it wasn’t right, that the others weren’t hit, but he had never be sure, never truly believed himself. Always doubted himself. Had he only trusted his instincts, then he could have fled from his own personal hell, he could have been saved, had he only spoken up.

“Don’t famous people normally get mail and such?”

“Yes, and I would assume that you received thousands of letters, gifts and other things. People searched for you for months, some grew quite frantic and demanded the minister of magic to bring you forward so you could be celebrated as you deserved.”

“I was only a baby.”

“A baby which had just lost his parents and had been through something very traumatic.”

“So where is it?”

“It is all stored in a vault in Gringotts.”

“The wizarding bank,” Harry mumbled carefully remembering the name from their little outing to diagonally.

“Yes, you have a couple of vaults in that bank I would assume.”

Harry again sat quiet, digesting that information. He was truly a hero, he was famous, people had written him fanmail, had tried to contact him, had searched for him.

“We can speak about this later, we still have to talk about your little mishap from earlier. While I am partly to blame for tempting you so and for underestimating you, I still wonder. As you were playing around with your quill, did you hesitate after noticing that the first spell worked. Did you stop to think if you were allowed?”

“Well, you never said no.”

“When the first spell didn’t work as planned, when you first destroyed something, did you then hesitate?”

Harry blushed for a second.

“Did you not for one moment stop and think, if I would approve or not?”

“Well, I tried to repair and clean, but all of a sudden it just didn’t work anymore.”

“So you knew that I would be upset. And you knew that it was wrong, that is why you didn’T wake Pierce either, because you knew he would warn you to stop.”

“I didn’t think it would break anything. It wasn’t supposed to.” Harry said, fingers trembling. When had they gone from speaking about his fame and such to him being in trouble again?

“That is likely to happen as you are not yet fully trained. I want you to go and get a prachment, ink and a quill from your room and then take a seat at the dining room table until dinner. There you will write lines for me. 100 times, I will not attempt any magic without adult supervision. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, after you wrote those lines, I want a detailed explanation as to why what you did was wrong, and why you won’t do it again. Clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, Pierces cousin is about to come here, you will sit and write while the two of them catch up. You should be done writing this by dinner time. After that Pierce you and I will sit down and speak about the rules.”

Pierce and Ter clung to each other for nearly two minutes after Snape had called the boys into the living room. Pierce was intent on never letting go, while Ter just kept stroking the boys hair. The Professor had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders, and now he was able to enjoy his cousin without having to worry about the next few years, without having to worry about an apartment, about work, about anything but school.

“Did you send the answer?”

“Yes,s ir. Thank you so much,” Ter said, over the blonde boys head, who was still clinging to his middle.

“Mr. Potter, do come here and greet our guest, the guest you were so intent on finding.” Snape called, the black haired boy who sat at the table now a deep red, embarrassed at being seen while he was punished.

“Harry Potter!” Pierce squeaking was the only reason why Ter jumped and stopped his wide-eyed mouth open staring. While he did let go of the boy in his arms, who had turned somewhat blue in the tensed up hug, did he still not close his mouth nor did he stop staring.

“Hi, you are Terrance, right?”

“Yeah, um, Yes, just Ter actually. It’s such an honor to meet you-“

“I’m just Harry, it’s good meeting you too. Pierce and I were looking for you for nearly a month. It would have been so much easier had you written the name of your school.”

“Um, well muggle mail doesn’t arrive here anyway, there’s a box for that in some muggle town here. And we’re not supposed to, you know. Had I known that you, well-“ Terrance didn’t find any more fitting words, his eyes on the black haired boy. Everything he had heard, all the stories he had been told, the information he had gotten, nothing had prepared him for this.

“Terrance, Pierce. Why don’t the two of you go to Pierces room, I am sure there is much you two need to talk about. Especially about the most recent changes. You oh famous Mr. Potter, please do sit down again.”

“Hey!” Harry blushed a deep red, head falling forward before hurrying back to the table, Terrance frowning at Snape at the mockery of his hero.

“Oh do forgive me Mr. Potter,” Snape mocked again as he walked towards the table pulling away the chair, offering it to the boy. “Please do take a seat, would you like a cushion for your-“

“No, I’m fine, thanks!” Harry cried out, ears a bright pink as he quickly grabbed his quill and hurried to complete his lines.c

Ter gave Snape one more confused look before he allowed his cousin to pull him down the hallway into his new room, intent on hearing about the change and wanting nothing more than for Ter to reassure him that he would still take him with him, no matter what the stern Professor dressed all in black said.

Chapter nine

“That wasn't very nice,” Harry mumbled after a few seconds, when Snape was in the kitchen getting tea ready.

“Oh please excuse my lack of decorum-”

“I am not that famous!” Harry said quickly, a look of denial in his face, shaking his head as he said so, grasping the quill tightly in his little hand, leaning forward over his paper.

“Mr. Potter, you need to get used to the fact, that no matter who you will meet, every wizard and witch will know your name. Most will be honored to finally meet you, some might even break out into tears, others will worship the ground you walk on. There might though be a small number, who hate your name, your fame and everything that you stand for now. Some that might wish you harm! It is important that you realize that, that you become aware of who exactly you are now. So, I think it will be rather important to work on some correct and polite responses when greeted.”

“Well, what was I supposed to say? It is not my fault I survived!” Snape snorted before giving the boy a rather pointed look to continue with writing his lines.

“Next time, you say thank you and shake their hand.”

“Well, I don't like it,” Harry said, biting his lower lip, even as he wrote his eightieth line twenty minutes after Terrance had arrived.

“I can imagine so, yet there is nothing that we can do about it, so it will do you well if you adjust quickly.” Severus replied, regarding the young black haired boy, who still sat bent over the parchment, swinging his right foot rather forcefully under the table, his body twitching every once in a while.

“Can I see my accounts?”

“Your vaults? Yes, we can go once school is over, I will have more time then.”

“Can we take Pierce?” Harry looked up as he asked this, something in his eyes giving Snape the impression that the boy actually already expected to hear a no.

“I don't think that that would be such a wise idea. I don't believe we can enter Gringotts without you being noticed this time around. An article will make it into the Prophet soon enough about your return to the Wizarding World. And once that article is out, it will be nearly impossible to walk through Diagon Alley without being noticed.”

“So, why can't we take him?” Harry inquired, quickly bending over his paper again when he received another pointed look.

“Because I can only take one other person along by side-apparition, not two. In case it I need a quick way out, it's better if I only have one of you with me. I would prefer not to be mobbed.”

“Oh,” Harry said, no clue what the word apparition meant, but noticing that the man was done discussing.

Snape sighed silently, he needed for the boy to understand soon, that he was not the poor beaten boy. He was a rich, famous beaten boy. The jealousy that his best friend would experience would test that friendship, the longer he could spare the two of them that, the better.

“You traitor!” A high pitched wail broke the silence only a few seconds later, and Harry whirled around so fast that he nearly fell off the chair, while Severus himself turned towards the red faced boy more slowly, a curious look on his face.

Pierce stood, his face a deep red, tears still visible on his face, his hands shaking slightly by his side, his back strained as he stood there, his shoulders pushed back far enough that Snape was sure that it hurt the boy, even as he was panting slightly.

“You made him go there!”

“It is best for all-”

“You are a traitor too!” Pierce cried out, twisting on the spot pointing an accusing finger at his cousin who stood there, slightly pale, his fingers shaking as well, even as he tried to fight for his bearing, nervous eyes flying to Severus before they settled back on his cousin, who looked so hurt, so lost, so angry as he stood there, shoulders still shaking.

“You promised, and we came all this way, and now you'll just go away,” Pierce cried out again, voice breaking as he angrily rubbed the tears from his face, eyes now flying back and forth as well.

“Pierce, just listen, please-”

“And you made him, even though you knew that he wanted to, and that I wanted to go with him.” Pierce yelled as he turned onto Snape again, voice a high pitched yell, taking an angry step forwards.

“You will lower your voice, right this instant young man!” Severus said, voice calm, leaning against the wall, not giving away just how angered he was at the boys behavior.

“You can't tell me what to do, you are not my father!” Pierce screeched, “I don't even know you. You are just a teacher, You just took us here, and now you want us to stay with you. Well, maybe we don't want to!”

“Pierce, I told you before, I will not force you to stay with me, but under no circumstances will I allow for your cousin to give up his life, to take you in. You are an ill tempered little boy, and your cousin has a once in a life-time chance, are you really that selfish to expect him to give up everything?”

“You can't tell him what to do either! He can't Ter', please! You promised! You said that you would as soon as you were done with school, you promised!” Pierce finally sobbed out, wiping his cheeks once more, now with both hands, shoulders hunching a little bit, as his anger was quickly replaced by hurt.

Harry sat wide-eyed at the table, staring from his best friend to the teacher and then to cousin. He could not believe what was going on, he couldn't really understand what was going on. He had never seen Pierce act this way, had never expected him to, either.

“I know lil' P', but I can't I need to-”

“No, you don't! You promised. You promised again and again. You knew, and you promised. I did everything you said, I stayed in my room, I didn't do anything. I went to school and stayed quiet, I wrote you and made sure I counted the days right. You promised me Ter'!”

“I am so sorry-”

“No you are not, you are a lair! Just like everybody else!” Pierce yelled out, anger resurfacing as he clenched his hands again.

“That's enough Mr. Rodgers, you would do best to lower your voice and stop this screaming. I am so close to coming over and helping you to get your temper in check, young man!” Snape finally said, rather loudly and forcefully, not surprised to see all three of them jump rather forcefully. He pushed himself of the wall and took a few steps into the living room, stopping short at Mr. Potters chair, placing one hand on the back of the boys chair, calm eyes taking in the mess of a boy only a few feet from him.

“You can't hit me, you're not my father!” Pierce screamed next, but an instant the boy had stopped his gulping for air and renewed sobbing, the near yell startling him quite bad.

“I won't hit you, but I will smack your backside if need be. And unless you want to end up face down over my knee young man, you will lower your voice and speak in a civilized manner!”

“Shut up, I am not speaking with you!” Pierce cried out before turning back towards his cousin, who had paled somewhat at the last statement.

“Pierce,” he exclaimed, but it was already too late. Snape had already rushed forward and grabbed the now screeching boy by the upper arm and hauled him around, grabbing him by both his arms, and given him a subtle shake.

“You are so close, my boy, so close to a real spanking. I won't forbid you to speak your mind, ever, as long as you do so in a respectful manner. If you can't manage to quiet down and keep a civil tongue in your head, then you will not only get smacked, but you will also spend some quality time in the corner, am I clear?”

Pierce who had begun struggling and crying again didn't reply, but simply pulled against the hands with more force, throwing his head back every now and then, to emit a rather loud howl.

“Maybe we should go and speak in your room again, Pierce?” Terrance suddenly asked, throwing a begging look at his Professor, clearly seeing where this might be going, and wanting nothing more than to spare his young cousin that fate.

“No, you are done for tonight. If Pierce can not speak politely and-”

“I can speak with Ter' as much as I want! You made him turn against me-”

“Enough! Your room, right now!”

“You can't send me away-”

“I can, and I am. Go, before I do spank that bottom of yours right here!”

“Shut up, I am talking with-”

“Never, ever tell me to shut up again Pierce,” Snape said, shocked, before he let go of the boy with his right hand, spinning him around and smacking his hand down, rather hard. Snape was surprised, he had never expected this. Yes, he had expected an outburst, he had expected a fight and perhaps even having to punish the boy. He had however never expected the boy to behave in such a confrontational disrespectful manner, “Never, am I clear?”

“SHUT UP!” Pierce screamed, right into the mans face, which was mere inches from his own, face contorted both with anger and fear.

“Enough of this, I will not punish you in anger, and you are way to angry to speak with as it is.” Severus finally sighed, forcing himself to take a deep breath, getting up he let go of the boy, glancing down at him shortly.

“Go ahead, beat me! That's what you want, that's what all of you always want!” Pierce screamed again, attempting to push the fully grown man in front of him forcefully.

Severus actually had to take a step back with the force, new anger surging through him.

“Do you want me to beat you Pierce?” he finally asked after a few seconds of tensed silence, Pierces heavy breathing the only thing that disturbed the absolute stillness.

“Do you want me to take of my belt and strap your backside raw? To go and fetch a switch and wear you out? Go grab that wooden spoon and beat you until you are bruised? Or perhaps the cane until you bleed?” Pierce had stopped his rant as Snape continued, shaking as he listened wide-eyed.

“Because I can assure you, young man, that I am very capable of doing so strength wise. I can conjure every item I have just listed with a flick of my wand. I can make you scream in pain by simply waving my wand, I can hex that mouth of yours shut, I can take your voice. I can lock you into your room or hex you into that corner. Right now every single nerve in my body is itching to take you across my knee, conjure a hairbrush and spank you until you see reason. But I won't, and do you know why? I won't, because I can control myself, and you my boy, will learn control. You will learn to control yourself, and if I have to send you to bed early until you are forty. If I have to place you in the corner and spank your rude bottom, you will learn self control!” Snape hissed, lifting the boys head by his chin until they made eye-contact.

“Now you will go to your room and stay there. I will bring you dinner later. As long as you can not treat either me or your cousin with respect, you won't be allowed to be with us.”

“But-”

“No buts, just go, Pierce.”

“You can't-”

“By Merlin, I have control Pierce, but you are wearing me thin. I am so close to making good on my threat and giving you a spanking you won't forget so soon. Now go, Pierce I am truly done discussing.”

“I hate you!” Pierce screamed at him, before turning around, running into his cousin forcefully before continuing to his room, where he did not miss banging his door closed.

“You know what I mean now?” Terrance asked after a few seconds, voice soft, still shaken by what had just happened.

“Yes, but I have expected such an outburst. But you Mr. Potter, better never speak to me or anyone else in such a fashion, am I clear?” Harry nodded, quickly, still staring with wide eyes, Pierce had been really, really rude.

“Good, continue with your lines, you should be done with those soon. As soon as you are done with those, start on your essay, it is almost time for dinner. You may go and eat in the Great hall if you with Mr. Rodgers, now that Pierce won't dine with us.

“Oh,” Terrance said, throwing a small look at the black haired boy, who now sat with his head bowed over the paper, furiously writing again.

“You may stay as well though, if you want.” Snape added, nearly smiling, before picking up the tray with tea and walking into the living room, calling the graduate to him.

Snape stuck to his word and delivered a tray with food to the boys room half an hour later, ignoring the pang to his chest when the boy wouldn't even look at him, as he placed the tray on the boys desk. The pang was quickly outdone though by the anger that surged through him when he saw the pile of clothes and books still on the boys bed, now a mess as the boy had simply pushed it back towards the wall to throw himself onto the mattress. Swallowing the urge to pop the boys presented bottom a good one, he simply cleared his throat.

“It is in your hands Mr. Rodgers, to make this stay here either comfortable or uncomfortable. As long as you choose to behave like an ill mannered young man, I shall treat you as one. As soon as you are ready to step past that phase and behave like the boy I know you are, then this can become a very comfortable stay.”

Pierce didn't turn around to look at him as he spoke, face pressed into the pillow, his entire body tense.

“I suggest you eat while it is still warm, I will come and help administer the potions and balms in just a moment. Oh, and Pierce. Please Continue or rather start putting your clothes away as soon as you are done eating.”

“You won't really spank him, will you Professor?” Terrance asked, the moment he had appeared back in his line of vision, his body tense even as he blushed somewhat.

“Not right now, no. He is testing me, and that is okay. I expected such. He needs to figure out the norm, he needs to figure out how far he can push me, when I will snap.”

“When will you Snap, sir?” Terrance asked, a curious glance in his eyes. The Professor he had known half a year ago, would have never, ever put up with any of this. He had never expected this man to invite anyone to his private quarters, to welcome any children to his home, least of all Potter. But here he sat, in the bats dungeon, which was actually a rather nicely decorated place, his Professor taking care of two boys, one of them the famous Potter, and he sat here, eating a very good dinner.

“I honestly don't know, we will all learn this soon enough, though I assume. The mere thought of being told to shut up again makes me angry, so I really don't know.” Snape replied, glancing into his cup of tea thoughtfully for a few seconds. He himself was somewhat surprised as well. When the boy had told him to shut up the first time, he had nearly lost control and smacked the boy. He was surprised that he hadn't given into it, even when the boy had become even more disrespectful towards the end.

“You wouldn't totally loose it though, right?”

“Beat him?” Snape asked, glancing at the man in front of him for a few seconds before shaking his head softly. “Never, I might spank him though. He was rather disrespectful tonight, and it wouldn't feel right to let this go unpunished.” He said thoughtfully, even as he glanced at the boy who still sat at the table, hunched over the paper, wanting to appear as if he wasn't listening, but having his ears perked.

“So Mr. Potter, mind your manners and control your temper. Disobedience, Disrespect and especially Dishonesty will always be punished severely. I won't tolerate any rule breaking in that regard, is that understood?”

Terrance nodded along with the younger boy. Those rules weren't too bad, he figured. He knew for a fact that had the boy pulled such a show in front of his dad, that Pierce would not be sitting comfortably for the next few days, god, had he ever dared to behave like this, he was pretty sure that his dad might have taken something to him. Those rules weren't too bad, at all, he had to admit, especially for Snape, who was a control freak on the best of his days. Everything had to run according to plan for that man, at all times.

“Can I go and talk with him again, sir?” Terrance asked, the moment he had cleared of his plate.

Snape hesitated, the tone the boy used made it obvious that he already expected a no for an answer.
“He is your cousin, so I can not, and will not deny it. I will say however, that I would prefer it if you didn't, he is being punished and I want him to realize that his behavior of this afternoon evoked uncomfortable consequences. If I were to go back on my word now, what would he learn of that? I need for him to realize that I will stick to my word in any aspect, that what I say will count, no matter what it is.”

“So no?”

“Did you listen to me Mr. Rodgers?” Severus asked, eyebrows raised, voice stern. Sometimes adolescents were so stupid! How that boy managed to be top of his class was beyond him.

“Alright, um Harry?”

“Yes?”

“I wanted to thank you, for going with Pierce. He told me the entire story, and while I am rather shocked at some of the stunts you two pulled, I am very glad that you were together and were careful even when you were stupid. Thank you.”

“Oh, I needed to go too. Pierce, if he hadn't come, then I wouldn't have ever gone. And then I would have most probably never made it here, to Hogwarts.”

“Well, then I guess it was good for the two of you. It was nice meeting you. I expect that I'll be seeing you often from now on, since you and Pierce are friends.”

“That would be great. It was nice meeting you too, thank you.”

“Oh, and I am sorry, you know. For not sticking to my word.”

“Oh, that's okay. Professor Snape explained that you were accepted into one of the best Universities. Pierce, he's just hurt, you know? He doesn't really mean anything of what he said earlier, he's just upset.”

“I know, thanks tyke.” Terrance replied, even as he got up, ruffling up the boys hand, before turning towards his Professor extending his hand, man to man, eyes bright, face soft, and perhaps as relaxed as it hasn't been in months.

Snape walked the young man over to the entrance to the Slytherin Common room, before pulling him to the side.

“I can trust that you keep this secret? That the boys are with me, but more so that Mr. Potter is with me, and especially the circumstances under which the boy grew up in? It is vital, and while I can not tell you why, I must ask you to give me your word to keep this between the four of us. If you think that that might be a problem, then I can modify your mind.”

“That won't be necessary, I owe you, a lot Professor-”

“You owe me nothing, Mr. Rodgers, only what we discussed. Keep your grades up, I take it that you are a man of your word.”

“Yes, sir. I will.”

“And Mr. Rodgers, if you have any doubts, about Mr. Potters safety, then you are welcome to go and take that up with the Headmaster, he is informed of the situation.”

Rodgers tilted his head to the side somewhat, before he sighed and shook his head softly. “Professor, I think the boy is safest with you. Even if I had my doubts before, seeing you with him and with Pierce, well there surely isn't one anymore. I have heard the others talk, and I know that even if you at any time were truly a Death Eater, you no longer are one. And I trust you,” Terrance said, offering the man a true, and honest small smile.

“Thank you Mr. Rodgers,” Severus said, inclining his head, “and you are welcome to stop by again tomorrow, just make sure you do so discretely.”

Rodgers simply nodded before bowing his head slightly, before turning and walking down the dark, cold hallway, head held higher, breathing more deeply, a huge weight taken off his shoulders.

“Mr. Potter, that was very thoughtful and kind of you, reassuring Mr. Rodgers like that,” Snape observed after he had come back in, standing by the portrait watching the young boy writing, bottom lip sucked into his mouth, leaning forward in his chair slightly, thinking.

“Huh? It's true though, right? He didn't really mean all the things he said, right?”

“Yes, I believe so as well. Pierce was very upset, and didn't take time to think about what he was saying, and how hurtful it might be for his cousin.”

Harry sat there, still, eying the Professor for a few seconds before he blushed somewhat and turned back to his paper.

“Where will we stay now, if not with him, sir?”

“Did I not already assure you, that you would never go back? That even if you couldn't stay with me, that I would make sure that you found a family that could take care of you?”

“So we could stay with you?”

“Well, perhaps. But I can not promise it. People here, they think that they know of my past. They know that I once served the Dark Lord, and many don't believe that I turned from him before he fell. Many think I was loyal to him until the very end.”

“But you weren't, right?”

“No, as said before, I turned from him the moment I realized my great error in telling him about the partial Prophecy I had overheard. That was nearly a year before he fell.”

“So because people think you worked for the bad guy, they won't allow me to stay with you, considering what they call me?”

“The boy who lived? The chosen one? The one that can not be killed?”

“Yeah, that.” Harry mumbled, blushing, leaning even further over his parchment.

“Yes, it could be very difficult to take guardianship officially.”

The boy sat thoughtfully for a few moments, leaning back in his chair, regarding the man in front of him for a few seconds, before placing both his hands in his lap.

“Well, then we could just not tell anyone. No one ever checked with the Dursleys anyway, and maybe they still think that I am there, I mean, there were no news about a ten year old gone missing, and not a single wizard ever came to knock on the door to begin with. So if I don't tell anyone, no one could say no.”

“That's technically kidnapping of a minor, Mr. Potter. If anyone ever found out, then I would go to prison. Not only because I hid a boy away in my house, but because it's you, the famous boy who lived. People will constantly overreact when you are concerned.”

“So I am like Richie Rich?” Harry asked after a few seconds of silence, eyes shining for just a second.

“Who?”

“The boy from the movie, the rich little boy? Many people know him and-”

“I am not familiar with that movie, but yes I would assume so. Just that you are not only famous through your wealth, but more so because of what you did as a mere baby.”

“Yeah, I was only a baby, so they can all sod off,” Harry growled, leaning back in his chair forcefully, crossing his arms over his chest, face as serious as the face of a ten year old could get.

“Stay respectful Mr. Potter,” Snape admonished, but not sternly. He clearly remembered how much the boy had hated his fame the first time around, it would have surprised him, if that too would have changed. But perhaps this time, Snape would be able to help the boy through it. The first time around the boy had been all alone with it. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger had been the same age and had been of no aid. He had played openly into the Medias hands, with Rita Skeeter making the best of it. The boy had had no clue how much he could have actually done with his name, how much good he could have accomplished if he had only worked his name.

“We can speak more about this during the summer break, for now it is only important that you realize that you are indeed famous and thus must watch your behavior, the way your present yourself, your decorum, do you understand what I am saying?”

“Yes, people will be watching, and I don't want to make a public mockery of myself.”

“Yes, and that will be a lot of pressure. People will be waiting for you to fail, and you must try not to fail, or at least fail in secret, yes?”

“Yes, sir. Does this mean that I could like never mess up? Like botch a test, or skip classes?”

“Mr. Potter, you will never botch a test, or skip a class, not because the public will be watching, but because I will be. And if I catch you skipping, then a nasty article in the papers will be the last of your worries, is that clear?”

“I was only asking,” Harry immediately said, lifting his hands slightly, but there was a little bout of mischief in his eyes, a look Snape enjoyed for a few seconds. So the boy was comfortable enough to kid around with him. He had not expected the boy to speak that much more, so quickly. At first the boy had not spoken a single word, and now he was talking a lot. But not just gibberish, but rather actually mindful words. The boy was trying to become aware of who he was, and why. There were no senseless questions, no silly demands. He was surprised, and that in itself surprised him, because he had thought, that this time around, he could anticipate everything, as he had gone through it all before. He had known everybody longer, this time around, had much more experience and insight.

“Sev,” Severus whipped around, that voice, how long had he yearned to hear it again, to hear it say his name again, in that fashion, this love, this kindness, how he had missed it.

“Oh Sev,” Lilly shushed, rushing forwards and opening her arms wide, gathering the frown man in them, like a mother would with her child, “My Sev,” she murmured again and again, while slowly but surely, the man that she was holding, began hugging her back, pressing his head on top of hers, inhaling the scent, a scent he had missed so long.

“I'm sorry,” he finally pressed out, voice cracking, as he hugged the small young form back, his long lost friend, his best friend, his first love.

“You were long forgiven,” she whispered, not pulling away as she felt the first of many tears wetting the top of her head, holding her best friend, as silent sobs wrecked his strong form.

“I couldn't save him,” Severus finally wheezed out, his lungs constricted.

“You did your best Sevvy, I know you did,” She said, holding him tight, feeling the familiar beat of his heart against her cheek. They stood like this for minutes, Severus Snape finally giving in to the pain, the tears he had longed to shed for years.

“He is quite a handful, hm?” She finally asked, when her lonely friend had composed himself as far as he needed.

“He is his fathers son,” Severus said after a few seconds, “but he has your heart Lil, he has such a good heart.”

“No you notice,” a different voice cut in, and Lilly didn't object when the arms around her pulled her even closer, even as the man who held her, stiffened. But the voice, as familiar as it was, lacked the normal malice, the usual edge it normally had, whenever addressing him.

Severus squeezed his eyes shut, memories flying by, hatred surging through his young body, as the voice, the voice he had not missed, he had given his best to forget, sounded so clear, from very close behind him.

“We don't have much time Lilly,” James said, calmly, as he leaned against the wall, watching his wife and mother of his son, hold on to her ever best friend, as if her long lost life depended on it.

“Severus,” Lilly finally said, leaning back, indicating for him to let her pull away, which he did, though it took all the will power and control he had, “James is right, we don't have much time.”

“Sevvy,” another voice cut in, and Severus whirled around, facing his mother, his mother he hadn't seen in nearly thirty years.

“Mom,” he finally croaked out, in total disbelief. He had expected death, had been waiting to embrace it, had always dreamt of then perhaps being reunited with those he loved and longed for most, but had never truly expected it. Because if there was to be a heaven, then there was to be a hell, and he would surely be sent to hell.

Eileen rushed towards him, crashing into his chest, sobs shaking her, her chest heaving so hard, he felt it, her forehead crashing into his chest, so hard it knocked the wind out of him.

“Mom,” he said again, voice on the verge of braking.

“My boy,” she cried, grabbing his cloak in both his hands, holding of with everything she had.

“I am sorry mom,” he finally managed to say, he felt dizzy. He hadn't ever expected this.

“Eileen, I am sorry, but we don't have much time,” James said again, cutting through Snape's soul, yet again, and this time, Severus lifted his head, staring at the young man, a man who had died almost 18 years ago, forever caught in the early years of his adulthood, never having outgrown his juvenile tendencies.

“Potter,” Severus finally sneered, cold black eyes on the man, the man that had made his life at school a living hell.

“Severus,” James replied, calm eyes settled on his face, but there as no more hatred in those eyes, no malice, just a calm and knowing look.

“James is right, Severus, we were only given a few minutes.”

“What?”

“Look at me Severus,” Lilly said, using his full first name, something she usually reserved for when she was angry, or truly needed for him to listen to her, as she walked back towards him, placing a warm hand on his cheek, pulling his eyes to hers, those beautiful green eyes, so full of love, of forgiveness. He could look into those eyes forever, just get lost in them, forever enveloped in the love they promised.

“You need to go back, they are giving you another chance.”

Severus looked at her, frowning, as he still held his mother against him, her motherly love warming him inside out. He didn't understand, what was going on? Had the Dark Lord won this war? Was he torturing him? Was he caught in one of those cruel mind games the Dark Lord found so much pleasure in?

“They are sending you back, Severus.”

“Who?” Severus asked, eyes flying to James, who still kept his distance, standing further off, attentive eyes on the scene that played out before him, no jealousy in those, even though Snape knew just how jealous the man had been of the relationship he had had with Lilly in his school years.

“The spirits Sev, they are giving you another chance.”

“I don't understand, why me?”

“Because you deserve it, Severus.” James spoke up, earning himself yet another glare. “I am sorry Severus, for what I did, for what we did. Sirius is sorry too, being here, seeing what we put you through, what you had to go through, and what you did for Harry, we are so sorry.” James ended, rubbing his young hands against a fine pair of black slacks uncomfortably.

“I don't understand,” Severus repeated, looking at his childhood best friend helplessly, even as he noticed that the walls around them were slowly getting whiter, even brighter.

“You are given another chance, Severus, to make everything right, to fix everything, you had always wanted that, right? To fix everything? To say no to Dumbledore? Say no this time, Severus, make your own choices, you know what to do, you have a great heart, don't hide it.”

“We were stupid, Severus. We were teenagers, I was blinded by hatred, by my stupid pureblook upbringing, Sirius, while he hated his status, was blinded as well. We were stupid, we should have been held accountable, we should have been expelled, Severus, we are sorry.”

“What's happening?”

“The spirits only gave us a few moments, Sev, you get another chance.”

“I don't want another chance, I want to stay here, with you.”

“You are needed Severus, they need you,” Lilly cried out, tears gathering in her eyes.

“No!” Severus yelled, as the walls around them, got whiter and whiter, soon appearing as if there was nothing, but bright white nothingness.

“You can do it right this time, Sev. You know now, you know what to do.”

“Save my son, please Severus, please. Don't hold him accountable for the stupidity of his father and godfather, two people he never had the chance to get to know. Don't hold him accountable for what we did to you, Severus, please.”

“What are you talking about?” Severus yelled again, his mother slowly pulling away from him, face wet with tears.

“Do it right this time Sev. I love you Sev, you will always be my first best friend, my first love. I love you so much Sevvy, do it right, learn to love yourself, forgive yourself, we have all forgiven you!” Lilly cried, hands clutching her won sweater by her heart, as sobs wrecked her young form.

“WE will see you again Severus. Live your life, be happy, get a wife, and children. Share yourself, you are a wonderful giving person, you have so much to give, share yourself,” Lilly said, slowly, calming down again.

“I always loved you, Sevvy, you will always be my little boy, promise me that you will learn to love yourself, there was nothing that you could have done, I was sick, there was no cure.”

“Don't let him go back to them, Sev. Save him.” James said, carefully, eying him, sorrow in his eyes.

“Who, what?”

“The spirits, this is straining them, they can't keep you here any longer, you need to go now, you can't miss this chance,” Lilly said, as she slowly lifted her hand, placing it on her hand.

“I am given another chance?”

“Yes my dear boy, make it worth it.” Eilen said, squeezing his hand.

“I am not dead?”

“You are given another chance at life, Severus, make it count.”

“Will you be there?” Severus asked, looking up at his friend, his dear long lost friend.

“No, we died as part of the prophecy,” Lilly explained, looking at her husband shortly.

“And I, Severus I was too sick.” Eileen explained carefully.

Severus frowned again, confusion only growing.

“What time am I being send back to? Make it early enough, I could change everything.”

“Shortly before Harry's first year,” James explained, hurt in his eyes.

“What, NO!” Snape roared, whipping around, looking into space.

“Send me back further, I can change everything!”

“It doesn't work this way Sev, the furthest they can send you back is Harry's first year,” Lilly explained, grasping his hand and turning him back around, glancing at his face, which was now paler than ever before.

“His first year?”

“Yes, safe yourself, Severus. Don't hate yourself, I forgive you, for everything. You didn't know it would target us, and you never meant what you called me, I know that now. You are a good man, Sev. Just believe that.”

“Safe him, Severus, please don't let him go through all that again, don't let him go back there.” James said again, and all of a sudden Snape understood, he was talking about Harry and the muggles, not Harry and the Deatheaters in the forest.

“I will,” he finally promised, his throat thick with tears, with hurt, “I will keep him safe Lilly, Po- James, I promised that night, and now I promise again, I will protect him.”

“The silent, hidden protector, I know. This time, be there, show him, be there for him, he needs you. I love you, Sev, but you need to go now.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

“When you lived your life, to the fullest, then yes. I will be waiting, right here, my love. We will all be right here.”

Snape had woken from that dream just a few weeks ago, and had been in a daze for a few weeks after that, not sure whether or not it had been a dream, whether or not he was truly caught in one of the Dark Lords cruel mind games. Only after a few weeks in this monotonous days at school, where he experienced one dejavu after the other, had it finally become bitter reality, he was truly send back in time, to the summer before young Harry James Potter would once again join Hogwarts.

He remembered how he had woken screaming, drenched in cold sweat, torn the covers off of himself and been wondering his quarters restlessly, the ten year old edition of the Prophet and Potions Weekly laying on his coffee table in his dark quarters.

He had truly been given another chance, and while he had thought he would be in total control of this life, he had learned quick that that was not the case. He had truly realized that when Mrs. Clearwater had reached out to him, only two weeks after waken from that dream, and told him of two boys who were seeking for him.

He had planned to safe the boy, to get him once school was out, but the change in events, perhaps it would work out better for him, in the end, seeing as now, no one was truly aware of him having any part in the boys disappearance.

The Potter brat st in his living room, Quidditch game set out in front of him, as he leaned against the couch, eyes on the seeker who was chasing after the snitch in a crazy frenzy.

“Come on dive!” The boy all of a sudden shouted, hissing something under his breath every once in a while, before shouting for the keeper to catch the damned quaffle. Snape had admonished him twice, at the same time reminding him that the game would read his mind if he only placed his finger on the patch, that no screaming was necessary. But it was to no avail, the boy would be quiet for a few minutes, body twitching every once in a while before the excitement got the better of him and he once again started his shouting.

“Mr. Potter, it is time to retire to bed also,” Severus said the moment the old clock in his living room struck eight pm.

Harry’s head whipped around so fast, one could have thought Snape had thrown something at him.

“Now?”

“No in two years, yes now, or I would not have said it,” Snape said exasperated. Really he knew that he did not mumble and that he spoke loud enough, was he speaking a different language?

“Oh, alright. Can I leave the game out so I can continue with it tomorrow?” Harry asked, as he got up, rubbing his bottom which had become quite numb on the cold and hard dungeon floor.

Everything in Snape screamed to say no, he would not have his personal quarters, his living room turned into a playroom, he was neat and organized, he did not need toys laying around.

“Push it aside, so I won't trip over it. And you will clean it up before lunch tomorrow, is that clear?”

“Oh, yes sir. Thanks,” Harry grinned before he pushed the board into the corner he and Pierce had stood in not so long ago at all.

The moment the boy was in his room and Snape had made sure that he took the potions and applied the balm, did he finally grab his last papers and retired to his study. He had a lot of correcting to do still, and while he was done grading most of his pupils, he still had the last exam of his second years to grade, and he was intent on taking those scores into their final grade. The class had nearly robbed him of his last nerve, and the 'surprise test' was simply serving as a little payback. He had promised them to have a test every Friday until they finally learned to shape up, and he was intent on keeping that promise. He'd have a test ready for their first day of classes for the next term, that much he promised himself.

It was nearing midnight when he finally turned off the light to go to bed himself. When he noticed that Pierces room door was ajar he found the boys bed empty. His heart only missed a beat however, as it didn't take him three seconds to figure out where the boy would be. It was no wonder, he thought as he poked his head into Potters room finding both boys sleeping peacefully next to each other, the boys had probably not slept apart since they had run off together, and he would be the last person to haul Pierce back into his own bed. It would just take time, he told himself, until they both felt secure enough again, to sleep separated.

When Harry woke the next morning he carefully disentangled himself from Pierces hold, as not to wake the other boy. Pierce had practically joined him in his room yesterday night, the moment the Professor had closed the door to the study behind himself. He wondered if Snape had noticed, and if he would be angry. But then he didn't give it much more thought, if the man had seen them and had done nothing about it, then he assumed that he didn't have a problem with it. And if the man had a problem with it, then he would surely tell them to knock it off.

“Good morning,” Snape greeted nonchalantly the moment the boy joined him in the kitchen. He boys hair was still damp, so he was sure that he had showered, and the smell of the balm lingered in the air, so Snape was sure that the boy had gone through the routine.

“There is a glass of Pumpkin Juice on the counter, if you want something to down after the potions,” he offered pointing into the direction of the kitchen, coffee mug in his left hand, Potions Weekly and the Prophet laid out in front of him.

The boy who lived has returned!

Harry James Potter, the boy who lived has finally returned after ten years. Larry Bumbleton confirmed his return, having met our young long awaited hero and one of his close friends in the knight bus.
“He looked just like I had expected him to, and that scar, and such a polite young man,” Mr. Bumbleton clearly still baffled by his run in with our young Mr. Harry Potter, confirmed that he was indeed in good health, and would indeed return to the Wizarding World.

Harry Potter and his friend Pierce Rodgers were both accompanied by the Potions Professor of Hogwarts and Ex-Death Eater Severus Snape.

Does that mean that our young Harry Potter will join Hogwarts?

Harry Potter, who vanished from the Wizarding World on that terrible Halloween night nearly ten years ago when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named found the young Potter family in their hide-out and killed his parents and was then defeated by the mere baby, has finally returned.

There will be more stories to tell, and we the Daily Prophet will make sure, that you our dear readers, will hear it first.

RS

“There, I told you, here is that long awaited article in the Daily Prophet. Going to Diagon Alley will be traumatic now,” Snape groaned as he skimmed over it again. Yes, ex-Death Eater, how he hated this woman! Dumbledore must have really had the woman under a firm hand, or this article could have gotten way more ugly, with Skeeter assuming that he was kidnapping the boy, killing him or who knows what!

“An entire article about me? And hey! Where did they get that picture of me?” Harry asked, wide-eyed as he stared at the little picture of himself, a small baby sitting on the ground, smiling and waving around a wooden stick, probably a play wand.

“Wow, the picture it moves.” Harry mumbled, placing a finger on the image, bending his head from side to side.

“It's magic, it's a moment caught on film, as muggles say, I believe.”

“Like a video?”

“Yes, I would assume so.”

“But how do they get it onto a paper?” Harry asked, turning the paper around, staring at the back of it, clearly in awe.

“I don't know Mr. Potter, that is not something I focused on,” Severus sighed, taking another sip of his coffee, “but to answer your original question. There's a lot of pictures of you out there, your mother was very proud and took a lot of pictures of you and then send them out in the mail to all her friends. They were more than happy to supply the Prophet with copies of those pictures after that horrible night.”

“Why does she keep saying our young Mr. Potter, I am not anyone’s Mr. Potter,” Harry growled after a few seconds having read over the article a few times.

“So what now?” He finally asked after Snape hadn't answered his first question.

“Now you watch your step,” Snape advised, voice soft, wishing he could take that from the boy, wishing he could spare the boy of that life.

“Stay invisible, I am good at that,” Harry mumbled, voice bitter, causing Snape to glance up once more, briefly before sighing.

“No, not staying invisible. You can show yourself, you can even give interviews, have pictures taken. But you must always remember that if you fail once, if you say something you shouldn't, only once, then it could be that thousands will read about it.”

“Interviews, and tell them what?”

“Lie,” Snape said smiling slyly, “If anyone ever asks why you hadn't turned up for so long, you will simply say that you lived with your relatives, whom you will not name to honor their decision to keep private. You must say no more than that, you could go out there and tell everyone that you were abused and had a horrible life, but you must consider all the consequences if you do so.”

“My relatives would go to jail.”

“Yes, and you would be given to foster parents, and who knows who you would be given to. The person that sent you to your relatives would land in very deep water as well, and thus much would get turned upside down.”

“Who sent me there anyway?”

“I don't it would be wise if you'd know,” Snape replied, honestly, as he looked at the boy, “I will tell you if you insist. But what good would it do you?” Snape asked. “What if I told you that it was me? That it was someone that had your best at heart but failed to follow up? What then?”

“It wasn't you,” Harry replied immediately, but there was just a tinge of horror in his eyes.

“No, it wasn't me. It was someone who has a lot of power, and thought giving you a chance at a normal, fame free childhood would be the best for you.”

“It could have been, had my relatives not been the way they were.”

“Yes, and he failed to check up on you, and he is deeply sorry for that. That is something that he will surely never forgive himself.”

“He knows?”

“Yes, I made sure to confront him,” Severus said, voice hard as steel, anger surging through him.

“No, I don't think I want to know then,” Harry said after a few seconds, face thoughtful, “That way there is no one I can hate, and they didn't do it intentionally, it was a stupid mistake, but everybody makes mistakes.

So forgiving, Severus thought, rubbing a hand over his tense shoulder, so much Lilly right there, so much understanding, such loyalty, so much like his parents.

“Alright then, I have to teach classes again today, so after we have breakfast I have a list of assignments to complete for the both of you. It would be good if the two of you got started on them, that way you don’t have to work all summer.”

“Already? Classes haven't even started yet,” Harry exclaimed, eyes wide.

“Oh, you don't have to do them just yet, but they still have to be done. You can decide to get a head start. After lunch I will pick up and Terrance will watch Pierce. We will go to Diagon Alley. We have an appointment with an eye-specialist and then we can go and look at your vaults.”

“You noticed then?”

“Your squinting? Yes, a blind man would have noticed. Here, set the table while I get breakfast ready,” Snape said opening a few cabinet doors to show the plates and glasses and silver-wear.

He had breakfast ready three minutes later, his wand back in his holster, he carried the eggs and sausages and toast over to the table, while the boy grabbed the butter and jam out the fridge.

“Has your friend not woken yet?”

Snape woke the boy, but had to leave short after, so he wasn't sure if the boy had gotten out of bed, showered or eaten breakfast. He didn't know if either of the boys decided to start on that Homework list, nor did he know if the two of them were taking his quarters apart at right this moment. He thought about hurrying back to his rooms more than once, while he sat observing his students, or while he was on duty in study-hall, but he fought the urge. His classes had been terrible all day, apparently a couple of his students did receive the daily prophet and actually read it, and by third period every student had heard the news, and bombarded him with questions. He was the one that had spoken with Potter, so he apparently was expected to have an answer to all their questions.

“I can not believe you didn't tell me,” Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house snapped at him, as she released him from Study Hall.

“What in the world are you referring to Professor?” He asked, nearly rolling his eyes when she got a crazed look in her own.

“That you went to meet him, did you bring him his letter then? The school howls had some difficulty delivering it. I had to send tracker, was probably on vacation, or those wards repelled the owls.”

“Yes, I went to meet, I took him shopping for his supplies, there is not much to tell.”

“Why did Dumbledore sent you? Any of us would have been honored to introduce him to our world, you were kind and understanding though, right?”

“Minerva, I have classes to teach. You will be able to ask him all those questions on September first, I assure you. He was alive when I left him, and in good health, as the prophet stated also.”

“Really Severus, one can never have a simple decent conversation with you. Must you always be so sarcastic?”

Snape simply grunted when the woman whipped around and hurried into study-hall, before he pinched both the Weasley boys ears sharply as he passed them, as they had been standing right around the corner, eavesdropping, leaving them both giggling, even as he didn't spare them another glance.

I can't believe it!” Pierce exclaimed once more, as he read the article with his best friend, wide-eyed.

“Yeah, it seems silly to me. Who in their right mind would care if a ten year old returned or not, I mean, there must have been real heroes in the war, don't you think?”

“They even mentioned me,” Pierce said after shrugging at his friend.

“Well, he left this list here, and wants the both of us to get a head start on it. He also said that you should take a shower and get dressed and everything.”

Pierce picked up the role of parchment before he groaned, “Homework?”

“Yeah, he said we would have to do them anyway, once school starts, so we should get a head start.”

“Well, he can go screw himself,” Pierce growled, throwing the list back down onto the table frowning at it.

“Pierce, what's wrong man?”

“He made him change his mind, he is all intent on going to that school now. You know what happens with us now? We will be sent to an orphanage, or foster care, because we can't go home. But school closes over the summer break, and we can't live by ourselves.”

“Snape said he would take care of everything. I mean, even if we can't stay with Terrance, at least we got out, right?”

“I wanted to live with Terrance, and I will. Ter' will realize that Snape can't tell him what to do!”

“You should stop fighting him, it got you smacked already. And you were really mean.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You wanted to live with Ter' as well.”

“I didn't even know Ter', I just wanted to get out and go from there. I would rather live in the streets than be sent back home.”

“So you just came with me, because it was better than staying home? I thought you were my friend.”

“I am your friend, and I came with you because it was better than home. I didn't even know you when I went with you. And we became friends on the way.”

“And now you take that guys side over me?”

“I am not taking anyone's side, it just makes sense, don't you see that Pierce? Ter' was accepted to a good University and we can't make him miss out on that, that wouldn't be fair!”

“So you are taking Snape's side. You said we would never split up!”

“Well, I don't want to split up, but if you want to go live with Ter', well I can't Pierce.”

“Why, because you are all famous now? Are you too good for me now?”

“No, I didn't even know that I was famous when I went with you, and I am still your friend, you are just really man right now, and I don't like that.” Harry said, feeling his stomach flutter with anger.

“I am still the same person, you are the one that changed, and you are the famous one now. The one that everyone knows!” Pierce screamed, before shoving at him, rather forcefully.

“Stop it,” Harry cried out, shoving back. “You are stupid, I am still the same Harry,” Pierce shoved him back viciously.

“You didn't even come to me yesterday, you made me stay all by myself, all night.”

“I wasn't allowed,” Harry yelled back, even though he did hesitate for just a second. He had never even asked if he could go to Pierces room.

“Who cares, you are my friend, you should have just come anyway.”

“You shouldn't have been so rude and stupid and you wouldn't have been sent to your room.” Harry yelled back.

“I wasn't stupid,” Pierce pushed Harry so hard this time, that he flew into the table, the edge cutting into his hip rather sharply, surely bruising him, but this fight he was willing to take. This was not Dudley, who was eighty pounds heavier than him. This time he wasn't fighting Dudley who would always win because his parents favoured him. This time it was a fight he could win, a fight he could fight, and he was hurt, and angry!

So the both of them ended on the ground next to the dining room table a minute later, viciously kicking and hitting each other, pulling hair and scratching at each other, arms and faces. Every other minute the two would roll over each other and one would end in a deadlock and a minute or so would pass with both of them just laying still, grasping for breath, silently whimpering at their aches before some energy returned and the one being held would begin struggling again. They fought for nearly twenty minutes, both rather bruised and scratched rather bad when all energy left them. Both lay panting next to each other, rubbing at their shins, sniffling once in a while.

“I really don't like you right now, you are behaving as spoilt as my cousin,” Harry mumbled before pushing himself off of the ground, whimpering slightly when his throbbing eyebrow gave a particular bad throb. He limped into his own room, opening his closet to change his clothes, his new t-shirt town and his slacks badly wrinkled. When he washed his face and hands a minute later, making sure to press his face under the cold water, cooling the forming bruises, did an idea occur to him. He still had some bruise balm left, and if he was careful he could spread it over his face and maybe the Professor wouldn't notice anything.

Pierce did not have the same mindset. The moment he limped into his room, anger surged through him, new fresh anger. Picking up his clothes from his bed, he tossed them through the room, screaming angrily, kicking at the bed he picked up his books, and tossed them at the door, a sense of satisfaction washing through him when they banged rather loudly. His nose was still oozing blood and it soaked through his pajamas shirt slowly. Snape would kill the both of them for fighting when he came back, and there was no way that they could hide it. Fear and anger surged through him, as he leaned against his bed post, panting heavily.

“Pierce,” Harry mumbled through the closed door, knocking softly when he opened the door, Pierce was surprised to find his friends face fully healed. He knew for a fact that he had punched and scratched him quite bad, he had even seen the damage.

“I don't think it would be good if Snape figured out that we- oh wow,” Harry gasped when he stuck his head through the door, taking in the mess.

“What?” Pierce snapped, guilt already forming.

“The bruise balm, he gave us, you can spread that on your face and hands, it'll heal it. And maybe you should clean this mess up, Snape is already pretty upset with you, and you might not want to make it worse.”

“What do you care, you won't ever get into any trouble anymore anyways.”

“What, wait, what is that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean! No matter what you do now, you don't get into trouble. You destroyed his stuff yesterday and he went to talk with you, he didn't hit you or yell or anything. I just throw a book and get put in the corner like a two year old.”

“I was punished, I had to write lines and an essay. And he told me I'd get smacked if I ever did it again.”

“but you didn't get hit, I always get hit for little things.”

“No, you got hit because you were rude and screaming and all, he doesn't like disrespect and that's all you keep giving him.”

“Get out of my room!” Pierce yelled after a second of silence, him staring at Harry with a disbelieving look in his eyes, feeling betrayed.

“Just heal those bruises, we don't need to get into trouble.”

“Well, maybe you'll finally get into trouble if he sees how hard you hit me,” Pierce snapped at him, a glare on his face, but he was pale, as he stood, his fingers trembling by his side, seeming lost.

“Wait, that's not fair. I looked the same way, I just put the cream on!”

“Get OUT! You are a traitor, just like all of them. Maybe it's a wizard thing, maybe I am not one of you after all!” Pierce yelled, forcing himself to sit back down on his still unmade bed, his room a disaster around him.

“You really are a prat,” Harry growled, before turning around and slamming the door.

“HEY!” Snape snapped the moment the portrait closed behind him, the loud bang of Pierces room door and startling him somewhat. He saw a red faced Potter stormed into his own room half a second later, slamming his own door shut as well. Snape stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before shaking his head, setting down his heavy bag by the door, he walked into his kitchen slowly, getting a tea ready for himself, this day had already seemed way too long.

"Alright, both of you, come here," he called after having taken a couple of minutes to calm down, now standing by his dining room table, glancing at the chair that was laying by his feet, the table misplaced by a few inches and a tiny speckle of blood on a otherwise rather clean tile.

"If I have to start counting you already earned yourself a smack, if I reach three you get three smacks, so come out here right now!" He called next and was rather surprised to find Pierce, not Harry rushing out of his room. When glancing at the blonde boy though, he nearly frowned. The first second he laid eyes on him, he was rather sure that the boys face had been discolored, that there had been a faint bruise around his chin, now though, the boy looked perfectly fine, if you didn't pay mind to the blood stained shirt.

"Why are you still in your nightclothes?" He managed to ask instead, as he caught himself staring.

"I haven't gotten around to showering yet," Pierce chose to reply, before he whimpered slightly when he himself allowed his eyes to fall downward, taking in the now dry splotches of blood on his shirt.

"Potter, do not make me start counting!" Snape called glancing down the hallway, Potters door remaining shut. Sighing Snape steeled his resolve and shook his head softly. "One, Potter."

He gave himself nearly two minutes before he reached three, his heart pounding in his own ears as he made his way down the hallway, stopping short in front of Potters door, knowing that he would have to go through with it now, knowing that both boys had heard his threat, of what would happen if he counted, and what would come if he happened to reach three. His right hand felt heavy as he lifted it to knock, before turning the door knob.

"Are you deaf, Mr. Potter? Because there is no way you could not have heard me, unless you are exactly that."

Harry felt his blood run cold as he glanced at the man, standing in the open doorway now, he knew he should have gotten up and run into the living room the moment the man had called for them, and he should have surely run when the man laid out his rules about the counting, and especially when the man had reached two, but he was so angry! So angry!

"Get up and come over here young man, right now!" Snape forced himself to say, as stern as he could muster, even as he felt his pulse quicken, knowing what he had to do, what he would make himself do. To his surprise the boy got up without discussing, and while he was considerably slow as he took a few tentative steps towards him, he came. Snape took the boy by the shoulder an turned him sideways, before tapping the boys bum hard enough to cause a slight sting, three times quickly, not surprised to find the boy completely still, even after he had tensed up considerably.

"Never, ever let me reach three again, is that clear young man?"

"Yes, sir." Harry whispered, not capable of lifting his head to look the man into the eyes, red faced as the embarrassment of it all caught up to him. Here he stood, ten years old, being smacked on the rear because he wouldn't listen?

"Good, because I hate this, I don't ever want to come in here again, to smack you, just because you think you can disobey me." Snape growled, before walking the boy out of his room, not letting go of his upper arm, holding onto it, not hard, merely a suggestive gesture, but still guiding him into the living room.

"Now, what happened in here, hm?" Snape asked, eying the blood stained shirt of Pierce one more time.

"Nothing sir," Pierce answered immediately.

"Dishonesty? Really, you want to make this worse for you?" Snape asked, immediately, eying the young small child sternly, who to his relief at least had the decency to lower his eyes somewhat.

"Potter?" He asked next, glancing at the boy who had his bottom lip sucked into his mouth, not glancing up to look at him once.

"You two were fighting, and while I don't know what about, as you are not speaking up, I will tell you right now, that fighting will not be tolerated. You are both old enough to use your words, there is no need to throw punches. I will not have two punks living in my house. This just keeps getting better! The moment I turn my back, my quarters get destroyed, because one of you is playing around with magic, and the other one doesn't even manage to put away his clothes and clean his room. Now you two beat each other bloody. Well let me tell you something, I have had it. I am so close, so close," he paused to bring his index finger and thumb together, nearly touching, "to take both of you over my knee."

He waited for either of the boys to say something, but both simply stood, heads lowered, eyes not meeting his, fidgeting slightly.

"Alright, neither of you decide to speak or fess up, and personally there is nothing worse for me than being lied to, so I won't press it. But know this, as long as the two of you decide to behave like two immature punks, I shall treat you as such. And since I see that neither of you started on the assignment list I placed out, I shall make it a requirement instead of a suggestion. From now on you will complete three of them daily. You are both grounded to your rooms until further notice. Since I can't trust the two of you to behave when around each other, I shall have to limit your interaction. Both, grab a copy of the list and get back into your room, I shall call you out when dinner is ready, perhaps one of you will decide to man up and speak up. Potter you may go, Rodgers, stay for just a moment."

He waited until Harry had hurried from the room, before turning towards the somewhat trembling blonde boy.

"You will shower young man, and get dressed. And then you will clean that room of yours. I will check it after lunch, and if I find that it is not clean, then you will find out just how displeased I am at your behavior as of late, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, you are excused, do as I said now."

Snape fell into his chair the moment Pierce had hurried towards his own room, exhaling loudly. This was not what he had expected upon returning to his quarters! With a flick of his wrist he had the quarters neat and orderly again. This would be hell, both of them would bring him to an early grave! He had lunch delivered by the house elves twenty minutes later and set the table by himself, not too desperate to be surrounded by both boys any longer than upmost necessary at this moment. the two of them hadn't looked at each other and he knew the two of them had been fighting, just what about? Harry joined him three minutes later, glancing around the living room shortly, as if to make sure that Pierce was either there, or not there, Snape wasn't sure.

"You may begin eating, once you have cleaned off your plate you are excused back to your room." He said, face stern, but the boy didn't need to be told twice. The moment he sat down, he began cutting up his plate, and eating quickly, but yet with manners. He had his plate almost cleaned off by the time Snape had sat down and began cutting his lean chicken and when Pierce joined them. Pierce was showered and also reeked of his balms. The new blue long sleeved shirt fitting over his skinny chest smugly, his black slacks held up by a belt. Pierce didn't look at either of them as he himself began eating, he did startle somewhat though, when Harry suddenly stood up, pushing his chair in, grabbing his plate and glass, bringing it into the kitchen before mumbling a quick thank you, and then hurrying back to his own room.

"You want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours, hm?" Snape asked after having watched the boy carefully, a guilt stricken look on his face was quickly replaced by anger once Harry had left the table, before he was once again left with eyes that seemed rather sad, poking at his forehead suggestively but yet playfully.

"I was a real prat, and I am sorry," he began, words coming out hesitant, it almost seemed as if it was the first apology the boy ever made. "Harry and I, well Harry told me that I was a jerk and I was mad and upset because Terrance won't take me with him now, even though he had promised and because you made him go to that school, and that's why he can't now. Well, I was still really angry  when I came out earlier, and Harry told me I was a prat, and then we fought."

Snape frowned, there was something the boy was leaving out, he could practically see it in the boy's face. "And?"

"And this stupid article in the paper, that's what started it. I mean, with him being all famous now, that just changes everything. we aren't alike anymore now. Now he'll be the one getting all the extra treatment and he'll be the one never getting into trouble anymore. That's what we both hated, you know? We always spoke about that, that it was unfair that we got into trouble for nothing and others got the special treatment just because they had more money or so."

"And you decided to rub that into his face, hm?"

"Well, not really. I just pointed it out, and I didn't know he was punished yesterday, I mean, if I had done that magic and destroyed your table I just know that you have hit me. and Harry, you just talked to him, well, at least that's what I thought," Pierce said softly after a few seconds of silence, ears pink now."

"And Harry told you that he was punished also?"

"Yes, but we fought because I said that he was taking your side, and well, he didn't like that, and then I was so angry, that I shoved him, and then we ended up fighting."

"And that's where all the bruises and cuts came from, the one you tried hiding, hm?"

"Yeah," Pierce mumbled softly, not looking up, simply poking at the single piece of cauliflower that was left on his plate.

"Thank you, for being honest," Severus said thoughtfully after a few seconds, before he sighed softly. "I had hoped that this entire jealousy would take a few months to develop, I had even hoped that perhaps it would take a few years," he said as he refilled the boys glass with pumpkin juice. "Harry is famous for something he can't even remember doing. He is famous because an evil wizard came into his house and murdered his parents, with only him surviving. He is rich because that evil wizard decided to kill everyone that Harry could have ever called family. He killed his parents, his grandparents and thus Harry inherited a lot of money. there's even been families that left him things, just because they felt they owed him, families Harry never even knew about, people that probably never even met him." Snape explained softly, nodding sadly when Pierce looked at him with a frown on his face.

"That fame Pierce, is not an easy one to carry. He is not famous for inventing a toy, for saving another life, he is famous for surviving and for vanquishing the Dark Lord. And he only just now found out that he was famous."

"But what now? What will I do now?"

"You are his best friend, stand by him, help him. Show him that you are his best friend, not only for his money and fame, but because of who he is. You are the only friend he has that became friends with him not knowing of his story. Harry will never again make that experience. From now on everyone he meets already knows his name, knows his history. Many people probably know more about his parents, about that terrible night than he does himself, and don't you think that that is terrible?"

"So do you think that he is unhappy, with being famous?"

"I know he is Pierce. He not only told me so repeatedly, but his face also shows. I bet you were excited when you read your name in the paper, right? Harry was annoyed, Pierce, he didn't like it at all."

"But why? There is so much he can do now." Pierce said, eyes shining as probably the most childish ideas came to his mind.

"Yes, but there is also so much that he can't, Pierce. You need to understand, that he can't really ever behave like another boy, be mischievous like any other boy, because little pranks could go a long way in his case. People will always be watching him, will wait for him to fail, only to publish it and let the entire Wizarding Britain know. That is going to be a whole lot of pressure and stress."

"Oh," Pierce mumbled, he had never thought of that.

"So, like Britney Spears, right? She decided to shave her head, and it was her own hair and such, and everybody made a big deal of it, saying she was sick and all, they even took her children from her."

"Yes, while I am not familiar with that story, I could assume that if it had been any other lady, no one would have cared or at least cared enough to take her children from her."

"The same will happen with Harry?"

"He will have to learn to be careful now, with the way he acts and speaks. He can have a very normal life, if he accepts who he is and learns to just adapt."

"I guess I didn't make it much easier for him, huh?"

"No, he is stressed out as it is, you teasing him with it, and showing him just how different he actually is now, that he is different now and will be treated differently, well I don't think it helped matters much. But it is not permanent, don't worry. You are both still young enough to talk things through and learn from your mistakes."

"So how can I help?"

"As much as it might excite or annoy you, you are now also in the public's eye, simply because you were mentioned in that article as one of Harry's friends. help him by showing him that he is not alone now. While he will always be the main focus, you are also being watched now. Show him that you were friends with him not because he is famous, but because of the boy he is. He needs to know that, he needs to feel that."

"Should I go and talk with now?"

"No, you should go back to your room. While it was good to have this little talk, we will not forget that you are being punished."

"But I didn't know-"

"That fighting was bad? Oh yes you did. And that is why you are being punished. But I guess I can rethink my original plan of grounding you for a month." Snape smirked, as he watched with satisfaction when the boys mouth dropped open.

"For a whole month?" He asked, wide-eyed.

"As I said, I guess I'll have to rethink that, but for now, go back to your room and begin cleaning and start on those assignments, oh and Mr. Rodgers?"

"Yes?"

"I will check your room after Dinner, and if it still a mess then, then you will be grounded for a month, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Terrance arrived two hours later, right as Snape came out of his fourth year lesson, rather relieved that he only had one more day of classes. He only had his OWL students tomorrow and would probably cut that lesson very, very short.

"Mr. Rodgers," he greeted as he opened the portrait welcoming the young man into his private quarters with a quick nod, "both boys are grounded to their rooms. I still have to take Potter out with me today though, as we have an appointment and can't afford to miss it. Since Mr. Potter is allowed out of his rooms, I figure that it would be fair to allow your cousin to leave his room also. They do have a couple of games in their rooms, so I am sure that you'll find something to do. Your cousin needs to clean and organize his room though, and I would much appreciate it, if you remind him of the fact that he will be grounded until the end of the month if he doesn't get it done until dinner tonight. And you are under no circumstances allowed to assist him in any means, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir. Um, so we shouldn't play any games until he cleaned, right?"

"That would be wise. I placed a couple of Potions Weekly magazines on the coffee table by the fireplace. You are welcome to read them. If Potter and I don't return by six, you two are welcome to have dinner without us. The house elves will bring dinner at six sharp. After dinner I need him to calm down, no new hysterics tonight. Bedtime is eight sharp. He needs to administer some balms before bedtime, he will know which ones. I highly doubt that Potter and I will take that long, but if we don't return you will know what to do."

"Yes, sir."

"And Mr. Rodgers, I need not remind you that you are not allowed to leave the quarters with your cousins, under any circumstances, correct?"

"No, I understand. Is there anything else?"

"He also has a homework list, he knows that I expect three done a day, which is part of their punishment for fighting, perhaps you want to remind him of that as well."

"That's a lot, three. And classes haven't even started yet."

"Yes, it would be wise if they got a head start. They will be taking classes during the summer and then probably extra classes once they start here."

"Extra classes?"

"Yes, being friends with Potter is not always only pleasure."

"With pleasure comes pain, that's what my father always said anyway."

"Yes, but no need to stress your cousin with that yet. Just make sure he cleans his room, starts on the assignments and puts on his balms, can I trust you with that?"

"Yes, sir," Terrance replied immediately, mentally taking notes, praying that he wouldn't mess up and then have to face the professors wrath, which was much feared by all students.

"Rodgers, Potter, come out here," he called an instant later and watched with some satisfaction when Terrance jumped slightly at his raised voice, good, so he hadn't lost it yet.

"Yeah?" Pierce called out, but both boys came out of their rooms nearly simultaneously.

"Don't say yeah," Snape nearly immediately admonished, unconsciously, before his eyes fell on Potter who still didn't meet his eyes.

"Do you remember when I told you about the eye-specialist? The healer was able to fit us into his schedule when another patient had to cancel on short notice. Please go and fetch your cloak and comb your hair, then meet me back out here."

Harry turned without another word, not glancing at his friend nor looking at Ter. Snape noticed Pierce's crestfallen look immediately, and for a moment felt almost sad for him, he knew that this friendship would have its ups and downs, he had truly hoped thought that it would take a few months at least before any tensions would arise.

"Your cousin will be babysitting you today while Potter and I are at the clinic. he knows that you are being punished, and I also told him what I expect of you for today. under no circumstances are you to ask him to help you clean your rooms, I would much appreciate if didn't have to punish you for that. So please don't put him into an uncomfortable position by asking him, or being complicated about it."

"Yes, sir."

"And you are also to still finish those three assignments. Here your cousin may offer some advice. As soon as you are finished with those chores, may you spend some quality time with your cousin."

"Thank you," Terrance immediately replied.

Pierce hurried back into his room after hugging his cousin hello and apologizing for his temper he had displayed during his previous visit the night before, before promising that he would clean his room and then work on the assignments so the two of them could play together. Just as Pierce closed his door, Harry came out of his, and Snape wasn't sure whether or not the boy had waited for just that. He was wearing his new cloak, but his now combed hair was still a mess, reminding Severus of his father, which to his surprise didn't bring that strong feeling of hatred as it had his entire life.

"Will it hurt?" Harry asked as Snape guided him towards the fireplace, explaining Floo Travel.

"No, it might be a little uncomfortable as we might spin a little, but there is no pain."

"The eye-specialist?"

"Won't hurt either, it might be a little uncomfortable as well, but I am not experienced in that field, so you might want to ask the doctor those questions yourself."

Harry stood stiff by his side as Snape held him to him close, the green flames errupting around them, engulfing them. Snape heard him gasp and help him even a little tighter, just as the flames whisked them away. They nearly stumbled when Snape pulled him out alongside with them to Saint Mungus. The first thing he did was making sure that the boys hair was still covering his scar before handing him a stomach soother. Harry looked positively green in the face and drakn the potion Snape handed him down, without asking any questions, nor complaining, simply quietly thanking him, when he felt his stomach settled.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked, standing and not commenting on the boys hand that still was grasping his cloak tightly.

"What if someone recognizes me?"

"Then you will shake their hand and behave like a polite young man, yes?"

"I don't want them to stare at my head like Mr. Bumbleton did," Harry mumbled, before blushing and pulling his hand from the cloak when he saw a young woman smiling as she watched saw them.

"I understand, but there is nothing that can be done about that."

"It won't even go away with the scar removal cream you gave me," Harry mumbled and Snape raised his eyebrows somewhat at that.

"It's a cursescar, those can not be removed. I myself have a few, and will have to carry them for the rest of my life," Snape said softy and Harry lifted his head, glancing at him for a short second before his eyes fell again. "Now, I won't punish you for using the balm in a way that I didn't tell you too, but you need to understand that it is important that you only use those balms or potions I give you for the things I give them to you for, clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alight, then let's not keep the Healer waiting any longer," Severus said, placing a reassuring hand on the boys shoulder, walking them up to the main desk.

"Appointment at the eye specialist, Severus Snape," Severus said to the young lady, who didn't even look up, but instead flicked her wand a few times.

"Accompanied by whom?"

"Harry Potter," Severus said, voice low, hoping the woman wouldn't freak out and cause a scene.

"Oh," at this moment the girl did indeed lift her head, looking over the counter at the now firmly blushing boy.

"Come over here for a second please Harry," she said, voice low motioning for him to step around the counter, which the boy did after a few seconds of hesitation, being prompted by a soft hand on his shoulders. "Welcome back young man, you can't imagine how long we have waited for your return," she said, placing a soft hand on his forearm, at which the boy finally managed to raise his head shyly.

"Thank you," he said, offering a small smile.

"I bet that this must be very confusing, and I wouldn't want to be in your place," she said, before grabbing a sucker out of a box and handing it to the boy, offering a small smile herself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you young man," she said, eyes flicking towards his fringe only shortly.

"It's nice meeting you too, Miss Lorin," Harry replied, accepting the sucker as he quickly looked at her nametag.

"Well Professor Snape, fifth floor.You take this elevator right here, step out to the right and it should be the fifth door on your left."

"Thank you Miss," Snape said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder once again, accepting the two name badges she handed, but keeping them in his hand for now. Harry was still as they stepped into the elevator, head low as he glanced at the sucker still in his hand.

"You did very well," Severus said quietly, giving the shoulder a gentle and subtle squeeze, not missing the soft intake of breath from the boy and the immediately relaxing shoulders, making a silent vow to bring forth this reaction more often from this moment on.