"Severus, please. You are the only option for this," Albus Dumbledore said, his fingers laced together. The old coot had a twinkle in his eye and he half expected to be offered one of those damnable lemon drops.

As if on cue, the headmaster reached into his robes an drew out a small tin tray which he pushed towards Severus. "Lemon drop, my boy?"

Severus pushed the tin back. "No thank you, Headmaster." He leaned back, draping his ebony wings over the chair and brought his hand to his mouth, tracing the outline of his lips with a potion stained finger. "What makes you think I am the perfect choice for this? Couldn't Potter just stay with his relatives? I'm sure he is quite happy being spoiled rotten there."

Dumbledore clicked his tongue. "That's just the thing, Severus. We have gotten a report from Hagrid saying that Harry has been receiving less than satisfactory care-"

"Oh, like what?" Severus interrupted. "He hasn't been getting enough presents on his birthday? Not enough sweets for dessert? I'm sure his relatives quite enjoy spoiling the brat. Just leave him there, Albus. You don't need to meddle in affairs that don't concern you."

Dumbledore looked displeased at being interrupted. "Just check on him, please. Just in case. You know Hagrid would never raise suspicion if there was no reason. Minerva is busy getting ready for the Sorting, Filius is visiting his cousin in America, and Pomona would love to take him in but she has to take care of her sister, so that leaves only you."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "What about Poppy? She adored Potter and Lily. I'm sure she would have no problem taking in their brat."

Dumbledore looked at him over his half-moon glasses. "Severus. Stop this. All you need to do is check with Harry's relatives and if everything checks out okay, you can come back and Hagrid will send Harry back to his home."

Severus sighed, resigned. He never could win arguments with the older man, no matter how hard he tried. "Fine. But I know Potter's relatives, and I can assure you, there will be nothing wrong."

Dumbledore handed him a small slip of parchment with words written on it. "This is where Harry lives. I expect to hear back from you later tonight." Severus snatched the paper from the headmaster. Twirling on his heel in an about face which made his robes billow in a dramatic effect, he stalked out the door.

After changing into some dark Muggle jeans and a dark blue dress shirt, he began his trek across the school grounds.

What was Albus thinking? The Potter brat was in the loving arms of his doting grandparents. They wouldn't dare raise a hand to their precious grandchild. Hagrid had most probably seen a scrape from the boy roughhousing and assumed the worst.

He pulled the slip of parchment from his pocket, looking at the address. Number Four Privet Drive? That was funny. He didn't remember the Evans' moving. As far as he knew, Mr. and Mrs.Evans had stayed at Lily's childhood home at Spinner's End in Cokeworth.

Reaching the entrance gate, he stepped out of Hogwarts' boundaries. He could feel the tingle of magic as he walked past the magical barriers. As soon as he could feel the stone path underneath his feet, he Apparated.

~'~

He knew something was wrong as soon as his feet touched the grass. The house was a bit too clean, even for the Evans' standards. The lawn was cut very short and the hedges pruned to near perfection. There were no weeds to be seen in the entire yard.

There was no way that two seventy something year olds would be able to do this much tidy work even if they worked together. And they definitely didn't drive sports cars. He knew the Evans' better than that.

As he trudged along the finely cut grass he had to wonder if Albus had given him the wrong address. He was proved wrong, however, when he knocked on the door and the horse face of Petunia Dursley nee Evans appeared.

"YOU!" She screeched when she saw who was behind the door. Severus winced internally. Her voice was still as shrill as ever, if not worse.

"Yes, me. I'm glad to see your observation skills haven't gone away over the years," he drawled. He stepped around her skeletal frame and walked into the house.

"You have no reason to be here!" She yelled at him. He just flicked his wand in her direction threateningly, and she shut up, stopping short.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I'm here on suspicion from a colleague that believed you have brought harm to one Mr. Potter," he said as he maneuvered around the house.

The house was spotless, everything was organized and appeared to be in its place. Framed photos of a rather large whale of a boy with a mop of blond hair covered nearly every surface of the walls. There was one large photo above the fireplace that showed a younger Petunia and her husband with the same boy, noticeably younger, in the middle. There wasn't a photo of Potter to be seen. It was as if the boy didn't exist.

"Tell me, Tuney," he sneered, using the hated nickname from their childhood. "Is your husband home?"

Petunia had followed his trail as he walked, staying near the shadows. She appeared beside the sofa. "He's still asleep right now, but he'll be up soon. He'll throw you out once he realizes what you are." She said with a smug grin.

"Oh, goody. I can't wait," he mumbled underneath his breath.

"Mum? I heard you yell. Is everything alright?" The large boy from the photos tromped down the stairs. His mouth was covered in what looked like dried syrup and his shirt sported old stains.

"Its okay, Diddykins, Mummy's just talking to an old friend." She spit the word out like it was venom. Severus smirked.

"Oh." Diddykins turned around to go back up to the second floor when Severus spotted it.

"How, may I ask, did that happen?" he questioned, motioning to the pig tail that was protruding from the boy's behind. The boy, realizing that his tail was out in the open, quickly covered his fat bottom with both hands.

"That-that giant thing hit him with his pink umbrella and caused my poor Dudders to get that monstrosity!" Severus' eyebrows shot up in surprise. Who knew Hagrid had it in him? Go Hagrid. He thought with an internal smirk.

"And just why did that 'giant thing', as you put it, attack your son?" Severus asked with barely concealed disgust.

"I just wanted some cake, and that freak was in the way!" Petunia's son pouted. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Merlin help me keep my temper with spoiled brats.

With a wave of his wand that had Petunia letting out a short scream, the pig tail vanished. "There. Never say I never did anything good for you."

The blond boy turned around in a circle, trying to look at his bottom to see if the tail had really vanished. He just succeeded in looking like a overweight puppy chasing it's tail.

The sound of a door creaking open and heavy footfalls reached his ears. "Ah. I see your husband is awake."

A large man padded into the room, dressed in striped pajamas that looked like they were a size too small for him. He had the same shock of blonde hair as his son, and Severus figured it was usually kept well parted, but right then it was nothing more than a tangled mess of bed head. He had a ruffled mustache that made him look very identical to a walrus.

"Mr. Dursely, I presume?" Severus asked, stepping closer to the man.

"Don't let him near you, Vernon! He's on of them-!" Petunia began.

"-I am here under suspicion of you hurting a child in your care under the name of Harry Potter. He does live here, yes?" He cut her off.

"Yeah, why?" Vernon reluctantly answered, giving a sidelong glance to his wife. Petunia was shaking her head furiously.

"Do you hurt your ward or mistreat him in any way?" Severus began to walk around the house again. He stopped at the stairs.

"Not what I would consider mistreating. He just does some chores then goes to his room. He's too good to be around us, I reckon is what he thinks." Severus hummed an affirmative.

"Do you feed the boy,?"

"Of course we feed him!" Vernon shot, looking rather offended.

The Dursleys began to sweat when he neared the cupboard under the stairs. Severus noticed it immediately.

"What's in here?" He reached for the handle.

"NO!" Petunia shrieked before slapping a hand over her mouth. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so there is something here, then? Let me just see." He reached for the handle and he could feel the family behind him hold their breath.

He opened the door enough to poke his head through. The lighting was horrible, but there was just enough light to see.

A shelf full of cleaning supplies and broken green army men was on one side. A ratty cot mattress was on the floor, holes littering the surface. A bucket in a corner gave off a horrible stench. Severus had to suppress a shudder when he saw the clump of spiders in the upper corner above him. He hated spiders.

Overall, this just looked like a place a child would come to play. He began to rise. He would have to tell Albus it was just a big misunderstanding...

Harry's Room.

He stopped dead in his tracks. In what looked like a child's scrawl, written in green crayon were the words Harry's Room on the inside of the cupboard door. The R was backwards and the M had a tail, as if someone had jerked the arm writing it. He saw red, memories of his own childhood coming to his mind.

Slowly, he turned to the other occupants of the room. "Just what is this?" He asked coldly, pointing to the words.

Vernon looked like he had took a shower with is clothes on, he was sweating so much. "W-Well, you know how kids are. They have uh, large imaginations and-" He never got to finish.

Severus had grabbed the front of his shirt collar, wand completely forgotten. Inches from the giant walrus' face, he spat: "Why would you stuff a child in a cupboard? What did this child ever do to you?"

Vernon's innocent façade faded and his face grew hard. "He's a freak. He's one of them! Spawns of the devil they are with their magic! The boy needed to be taught a lesson!"

Severus threw the man with such force that the wall cracked when Vernon collided with it. Dudley whimpered, eyes wide. He went for the stairs but Severus stopped him with a wave of his hand. Another wave and the pig tail was back. Petunia screamed.

"Quiet, you!" He pointed a finger at her and although her mouth was open, no noise came out. She clutched her throat, eyes wide. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. She turned to him, silently screaming, her arms waving wildly. She looked rather ridiculous.

"This is not over," Severus growled, giving them a glare that would make the bravest Auror run for the hills. "This will get out, and you will pay the price. If I find out that there is more than this," he pointed towards the cupboard door, the small green letters jutting out against the white, "jail time would be the least of your problems." He sneered, making the Dursleys flinch.

Severus stalked out of the house, anger rising. Why did Albus send the Potter brat there? He knew his grandparents could have taken him in. Lovingly, in fact!

Severus glared at two kids that blocked his path. They quickly split, moving out of the way. He would have to get retribution later. First, a trip to the Leaky Cauldron was needed.

.'.

Harry woke up to the sound of whispered voices. As quietly as he could, he walked over to the door, cracking it open a bit. Hagrid was talking to another man with long black hair and a hooked nose. He was a wizard, going by the large black wings protruding from his back. They seemed to be in a very heated conversation. Listening closely, he could pick up snippets.

"How could Albus let him stay there? He knew they wouldn't be right-"

"He just wanted tha best for young 'Arry-"

"The best? They boy was living in a cupboard-"

Harry drew back quickly. They were talking about him!

The door opened and Harry scrambled away quickly to his bed, barely managing to hop on the edge as Hagrid and the other man stepped inside.

The man with the black wings stopped and stared at Harry with a piercing look from onyx eyes. Harry was instantly reminded of Sherlock, how he looked at people and seemed to understand everything, almost like an X-ray.

"Mr. Potter, my name is Severus Snape. I am the Potions Master and Potions professor at Hogwarts. I will be in charge of finding a home for you this summer until you go to school," Snape said, stepping closer. Harry held out his hand out of reflex. Snape looked at it for a moment, thoughtful, then grasped Harry's hand back and shook once curtly. The man's stained hands were large and surprisingly warm.

Snape took the chair from the desk and sat opposite Harry's bed. He crossed his long legs and draped his raven wings over the back of the chair, hands folded neatly in his lap.

"Hagrid, if you don't mind stepping outside, I believe Mr. Potter and I have some things to talk about."

.'.

Severus could hardly believe what he was seeing. The boy looked like a twig! How had no one noticed before? He would definitely be having a word with Albus later, after an examination with Poppy.

Potter fidgeted with the hem of his dirty oversized shirt. Severus sneered at the garment. He would have to take the boy shopping for new clothes soon. Joy.

Seeing Severus' sneer, Potter ducked his head down. Severus' eyes narrowed. Definitely more than malnutrition. The ticks were adding up on the Dursleys, not in their favor.

"Um, sir? Can I ask a question?" Potter asked. Severus had to bite his tongue to hold back the sarcastic response of You just did.

Severus nodded. "I'm sure you have many questions. I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge."

Potter seemed to think for a moment. He continued fidgeting with that damn shirt. Severus repressed the urge to slap the boy's hands away.

Severus waited. Potter was making no attempt to speak, just looking at Severus then ducking his head. He inwardly sighed. Merlin's left toe, why was it always him that ended up in these situations?

"Potter!" he snapped, losing patience. He pretending not to see the flinch from the boy. "You said you have questions? Ask them. I do not have all day."

Potter's head snapped up. "Sorry, sir," he apologized.

Definitely not like his father, Severus thought. Potter's wings folded around himself, as if they could offer protection.

Potter licked his lips. "Why are you taking me away?"

Severus quirked an elegant eyebrow. "Do you wish to stay with your relatives then?"

Potter's eyes widened. "No! I mean, uh, no, sir. I was just...curious." He began to twist the material of his shirt with such force that Severus feared it might rip. It wouldn't do anything to improve the look of the shirt.

"Is that all?" Potter nodded. "All right. Now I have some questions I want you to answer truthfully."

He unfolded his legs. "Tell me, Mr. Potter, how are your living conditions with your aunt and uncle?"

Harry jerked as if he had been slapped. "I-Its good, sir. I'm fine there."

Severus highly doubted it, if the information he had gathered so far had to say anything. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he said:

"How many meals do you get in a day?"

"U-um, enough." Strike one

"Where do you sleep?"

"On a bed." Strike two

"Do you like your relatives?"

"They're alright, I guess." Strike three. You're out!

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He was obviously not going to get anywhere with the boy. Making up his mind, he sat forward.

"Potter, look at me."

With a light Legilimency, he pushed into the boy's mind. Memories flooded past him, going whichever way.

Potter, no older than three, making food, while his family sat at the table ...

Potter being shoved into the cupboard...

Potter standing in front of a mirror, looking at his new wings with awe...

He grasped onto a one as it whizzed by and stepped through the memory.

A loud banging instantly filled his ears. "GET UP, BOY. I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

Potter groaned and rolled around on the matted cupboard mattress to face the door. Severus gasped when he saw the large hand shaped bruise that marred the boy's left cheek.

The door opened and Potter had to crouch down to exit. A large beefy hand swatted the boy across the head, sending the boy tumbling down.

"Go make breakfast. Dudley's hungry," Vernon Dursley growled. Potter ducked his head as another swat came his way.

"Yes, sir."

Potter went to the kitchen, just as spotless as Severus had seen before. He bet every Galleon in his vault that it was Potter that cleaned it.

The young boy began to get out a skillet from the bottom cabinet. Petunia walked in. "You better not burn it, boy, or it will be three days without food!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Severus grit his teeth. She was just as despicable as ever.

As Potter began to make omelets, the rest of the family came in and sat down.

"Mummy, I'm hungry! Make the freak go faster!" the fat boy whined. He was so large that his bottom didn't even fit on the seat and the chair groaned as he sat down.

Petunia swatted Potter on the head with a fly swatter. "Hurry up, boy!"

Potter, who had moved the pan over to put the omelet on a plate, jerked from the slap, dropping the cast-iron skillet on his foot and the omelet landed on the floor with a splat.

Vernon's face went an impressive shade of purple. "BOY!" He bellowed. Potter flinched and shrank back, the words "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" streaming from his mouth.

Vernon pushed back out of his chair and stalked towards the cowering boy, a promise of murder glinting in his beady eyes. He began to take off his belt and Severus' heart fell to his stomach as he realized what was about to happen.

Vernon grabbed Potter by the arm so hard there was bound to be a bruise and threw him towards the wall. Potter took off his shirt, showing old and new scars crisscrossing his back. He put his hands against the wall and Severus felt sick knowing that this was routine for the boy.

Petunia didn't even react or seemed to care as Vernon began to beat the boy with the belt buckle. Severus was filled with rage. She should have done something, not just stand there and pretend nothing was wrong. What made it worse was that Dudley was watching with a kind of twisted sinister smile. "Teach the freak a lesson, Dad!" he said. Severus wanted to slap the boy.

Potter made no reaction as he was being beat, just staring blankly and defeated as his back was being pummeled.

"This is just the beginning, you freak!" The eldest Dursley sneered. "Just wait 'till this is done..."

Severus shuddered. He didn't need to see the end. He didn't want to.

He quickly exited the boy's mind, his own still reeling from what he saw. Oh, Dumbledore was definitely going to hear about this.

Potter blinked, his eyes a bit glazed over.

"Sir? What just happened?" Potter asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Severus said nothing, but got up and walked to the door. "You can come back in now, Hagrid," he said to the large man waiting outside.

Severus turned from the door to face Potter as Hagrid came through. "Mr. Potter, I would suggest gathering your belongings. We will be leaving soon."

Potter jumped off the bed. He grabbed his trunk and his wand from his dirty bedside table. He tugged on his ratty sneakers then came to stand beside Severus. "Ready, sir!"

Severus looked at the meager belongings. "This is all?"

Potter nodded his head. "Yes, sir. All of my school books and Potion ingredients are in my trunk, and my other supplies Hagrid shrunk and put in his pockets."

Severus gave a questioning look at Hagrid. He did magic? Hagrid just made swiping motions with his hand across his throat and shook his head.

Severus nodded back in response. Don't say anything. Alright.

Hagrid opened the dirt-caked window, allowing Hedwig to fly out. Potter gasped. "Why did you do that? Where did she go?"

"She will be fine, Mr. Potter. She will be waiting for us when we reach our destination," Severus tried to reassure the boy, but he could tell Potter was a bit skeptical.

"We will be Apparating, Potter. Hold on tight." Before Potter could say anything, Severus wrapped a large black wing around the boy, drawing him close, and with a crack! was gone.

.'.

Harry felt like he was being squeezed through a tube. A really small one. When they landed, Harry fell on his bum, feeling dizzy and sick, his wings fluttering slightly. Snape was still standing, staring down at Harry, his now-folded wings blending slightly in with his dark blue shirt. He seemed impatient as Harry struggled to get up.

"Hurry up, Potter." Snape began walking down a stone path and Harry had to quicken his pace to keep up with the taller man's longer stride. His trunk dragged behind him, slowing him down a little bit as it wobbled with every bump.

Harry felt a tingle surround his body and he gasped when he saw the hugs castle that suddenly appeared, looming overhead. They passed through large iron gates and Harry could see a hut out in the distance, smoke billowing from the chimney.

"Who lives there?" Harry asked, pointing towards the hut.

Snape looked where Harry was pointing. "That is Hagrid's hut. He lives on the grounds."

That's when Harry realized the giant man wasn't with them. "Hey, where is Hagrid?"

"He will be following shortly." Harry hoped Snape was right.

"Alright..."

They stepped through the large entrance doors and went up a few stairs. Harry's mouth fell open in shock and awe.

Four large long tables took up the floor while another long table sat on top of steps, overlooking the others. Colorful banners were above each one, each one depicting a different animal. There was a silver snake, a gold lion, a black badger and a silver eagle. What really caught Harry's attention was the ceiling. Or at least, what Harry thought was the ceiling.

The sky filled the area where the ceiling should have been. Bright blues and fluffy white clouds filled the space and Harry could even feel the rays of the sun tickle his face. He couldn't see where the ceiling ended or began.

"Wow," he breathed. Snape looked down at him, an amused twinkle in his onyx eyes.

"Where are we?" Harry looked up to face Snape.

"You haven't figured it out by now, Potter? This is Hogwarts." Snape gestured around the large room "The room we are in right now is the Great Hall, where we eat."

Harry's eyes widened as he was presented with the information. This was Hogwarts? This magnificent place was where he was going to go to school? Again, Harry was star-struck.

"No dawdling. You will get the full tour when you come back for school." Harry quickly followed.

They continued walking, passing by large suits of armor. There was even a statue of a one-eyed witch, which freaked Harry out a bit. He jumped when a portrait of an old man playing cards began to move and talk. Snape just pushed him along, telling him to ignore the portraits. "They're annoying and often lead you the wrong way. I have learned not to trust them very much."

On the fourth floor, they stopped in front of a horrible smelling door. It smelled like Harry's cupboard, filled with cleaning supplies and too many chemicals.

"This is the Infirmary, Potter. Inside, we have a Mediwitch, a nurse of sorts. She will look over you and heal any wounds you may have." Harry flinched, but if Snape saw, he didn't let on.

Snape pushed open the door. "Madam Pomfrey! I am in need of your assistance!"

A few moments later, a woman that looked slightly older than Snape came bustling through, weaving around white-sheeted beds and bedpans. She was had a white apron on and a weird hat with a red cross on it. Her wings looked clean and recently preened. They were a dark grey color, fading into white at the ends.

"Well, its about time you come to me instead of hiding yourself in your room!" she chastised. She noticed Harry and her eyes widened.

"Goodness, is that Harry Potter?" Harry wanted to know why everyone seemed to know his name. It was getting slightly annoying.

"Yes, ma'am. I am." Harry said a bit snappily. Snape glanced down at him, but Harry couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Mr. Potter here is in need of an examination I believe," Snape said. Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a questioning glance.

"He may have some broken bones that need to be re-set. He is also in dire need of Nutrient Potions." Madam Pomfrey nodded and shooed Harry to a bed. He felt rather ridiculous as she fluttered around him, poking and prodding and waving her wand. She reminded Harry of a mother hen.

She stretched out one of his wings. "Yes, very good! Very healthy, strong wings! You'll be a natural flyer. You'd make a good addition to your House's Quidditch team!" Harry didn't know what this 'Quidditch' was, but it sounded interesting. He had never participated in a sport before. Maybe now he could.

He heard the rustle of clothing and he turned around to see Snape leaving.

"Where are you going?" He called. Remembering his manners, he added. "Uh, sir?" He felt silly, calling to the man as if he was a little kid. He had only met the man a mere two hours ago, and he already sounded attached.

Snape gave Harry an awkward look. "I am going to speak with the Headmaster of your new living arrangements. You will not be going back to the Dursleys." Snape turned back towards the door.

"I'll be back. I promise." Harry heard Snape whisper as he walked out of the Infirmary.

.'.

"What?!" Dumbledore slammed his hands on the table, sending trinkets and books flying off of the table, his brilliant blue wings flared out behind him. For a moment, Severus thought the Headmaster would lose control of his magic. He could feel a tickle surround his body as Dumbledore's strong aura filled the room. Fawkes squawked, flapping his wings. Books and portraits shook on their perches.

The tingle slowly faded as Dumbledore gained control again, the shaking objects stilling. "Tell me this isn't true, Severus."

"I wish I could, Headmaster." Severus said solemnly. He had felt sick telling Dumbledore the story of what he saw inside Potter's memories. No doubt Dumbledore had felt just as sick hearing it.

Dumbledore put his head in his hands. He shook his head, a heartbreaking moan erupting the broken man. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. He raised his head, looking straight at Severus with pain filled eyes. "It's all my fault," he hiccuped.

Severus didn't know what to do. He had never been in a situation like this. The Headmaster was usually so...in control. Never had he seen the old man look as broken as he did at that moment.

"You never knew what was going on. There was no way to stop it," Severus tried his best at comforting. He got up from his chair and patted the older man on the back awkwardly, rubbing circles around and around, soothing the tense muscles.

"I had someone there to watch him. The never reported anything wrong." Dumbledore said, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes with the handkerchief that Severus gave him.

"Well then it is their fault. They should have seen the signs." Severus sat back down. Fawkes chirped an affirmative, agreeing with Severus.

"There is no need to blame Arabella. She didn't know. She was just as in the dark as the rest of us." Dumbledore tried defending.

"Arabella? Arabella Figg? You put her in charge of watching the boy? She can barely keep track of her trillion cats, let alone keep track of a small child!" Severus snarled.

"Yes, well, the past is in the past, isn't it? What's done is done." Dumbledore still sounded guilty, but he schooled his features into the grandfatherly Headmaster everyone knew. "For now, we need to worry about where Harry is going to stay, since his relatives are obviously out of the question."

Severus narrowed his eyes. Dumbledore was changing the topic on purpose. He went with it, albeit reluctantly.

"Obviously."

Dumbledore seemed slightly relieved that Severus let the change in topic go. "Yes, well, I have a few ideas in mind where Harry could go. Two actually. The first is that Harry could stay here until he goes to school, but I highly doubt that will happen. The second, well..." Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles, giving Severus a pointed look.

Severus knew what he meant instantly. He jumped up from the chair, nearly sending it toppling over. "NO! No! I did not agree to this, Headmaster! I agreed to get him out of the Dursley's care, that's it! I did not agree to taking the boy in!"

"But, Severus, think of poor Harry. I imagine he has already grown attached to you, what with you saving him and all. If he stays here, he'll become a ward of the Ministry and Merlin knows what will happen to him then." The damn twinkle in his eyes were blinding. It was hard to believe that the man had been in near hysterics just moments before.

"I don't give a damn what happens to Potter!" He yelled.

That's not true, a voice in his head whispered. You did promise the boy you would be back. He shook it off.

"I think you care more than you realize. Your reaction while telling me about Harry tells me you care for the boy."

Severus sneered. "Anyone would feel sick hearing what happened to the boy."

Dumbledore hummed, an infuriating smile etched on his face. "Don't forget, Severus, he's Lily's child, too. You owe her that much, at least."

Severus glared. Damn him.

"Fine. But just for the summer. No more. I'm going to be dealing with him enough during school."

Dumbledore just smiled wider.