Harry woke up and looked around the room. At first, he didn't recognize where he was. Out of habit, he ran his hand towards his face and noticed that his glasses were still on. Gripping the frames, Harry took the glasses from his face and realized that, for the first time in his memory, he could see clearly without his glasses.

Once the glasses came off, Harry could see that he was in the Infirmary at Hogwarts. The big question was why was he at Hogwarts? The last thing he remembered was getting supplies together so that he could water the garden.

Slightly turning his head, Harry felt a sharp pain in his neck. He put his hand on his neck but didn't feel anything. Not wanting to stay in the infirmary any longer than he had to be, Harry tried sitting up. At first, it took a moment for the room to stop spinning. Once he could see straight, he stood on shaky legs and quietly walked out into the hallway.

_000_0000_0000

"Please sit," Albus said, though his tone of voice made it so he wasn't asking.

Severus huffed as he sat back into the chair he previously vacated.

"You too, Remus," Albus said.

Remus walked over to the sofa and sat down next to Albus.

"Now," Albus said. "Would you two care to tell me what has gotten into you? Neither one of you is ever this careless."

"Me?" Remus said, incredulously. "What did I do? He," pointing at Severus, "bit Harry. He turned the child."

Severus, who had yet to say anything, gave a slight cringe at hearing that he turned someone.

"And you think that you are guiltless?" Albus asked, looking at Remus. His blue eyes cold as ice. "You attacked your brother."

"He's no brother of mine," Remus raged. "He turned a child."

Remus' eyes started to turn again. His breathing becoming erratic.

Again, Severus did not say anything to defend himself. He did not want to admit how much that statement hurt. As much as he and Remus fought, the last thing he wanted to do was lose him as a brother, but what could he say? He was careless. He did not only lose himself but nearly killed a child. Severus sat there taking the rebuke that Remus was giving him. What he did not understand was why Albus not joining him in the reprimand. Severus was waiting for the physical attack to happen soon. It was only a matter of time.

When the first sound of movement was heard, Severus closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain that would follow the blow that was sure to come his way. But that did not happen. Severus looked up and what he saw surprised him.

Albus had a firm grip on the back of Remus' neck, bringing his head down so that his ear was next to his mouth. Albus began whispering into the werewolf's ear.

"I have asked you to leave my son," Albus whispered, harshly. "Do not make me tell you again. You will control your temper. If I have to say something to you again, you will not like the consequences. We are a family and you will respect everyone in this family."

The stiffness Albus felt under his hand relaxed. Feeling the muscles loosen, Albus loosened his grip on his son. He allowed his son to sit back on the sofa.

There was silence between them for a moment. Albus looked over at the dour man. He could see that Severus was struggling with what happened.

"Would you like to explain the statement you said when we came in?" Albus asked Severus.

Severus looked up at Albus, slightly startled by the sudden voice in the silence.

"Who is no different than you?"

"Potter," Severus said. Though saying the child's name didn't hold the same contempt that it held before.

"What did you see?" Albus asked.

"He lived in a cupboard."

"What?" Remus asked.

"He was asleep inside a cupboard," Severus tone was exhausted. For the past two years, he saw that boy as a spoiled child that had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Harry Potter could do no wrong. But that wasn't true. Not if his bedroom was a small cupboard under the stairs.

"Where had he been staying?" Remus asked.

"With his aunt," Albus answered. "I thought she would have taken care of the child." Albus mused to himself. To Severus, he asked, "What was Harry doing when you got to the house?"

"Gathering supplies," Severus answered.

"When Harry is able to talk, we'll ask him," Albus said.

_000_0000_000

Harry walked aimlessly through the hallways. He had his glasses in one hand and his other hand in his pocket, trying to remember why he was at Hogwarts. As he walked, he tried to remember the last thing he was doing. He remembered the blue sky, wishing that he was flying. He remembered that it was hot, very hot. Harry looked down at his arms. He remembered carrying things out of the shed. The old watering can. It scratched his arm. He looked at his arm and didn't see any scratches anywhere, rubbing his fingers over his arm.

Turning down a random corridor, Harry begins to remember the last thing that happened when he thought about flying. He remembered being grabbed from behind.

The fear that enveloped the child came back full force as he lifted his head and saw where he was. He was now standing in front of the entrance to the Headmaster.

_000_000_

The fire turned green and Poppy's voice came through the flames.

"Albus."

"I'm here, Poppy," Albus said, getting up from the sofa and walking towards the hearth.

"Harry's gone," Poppy's frantic voice sounded throughout the room.

"A constant troublemaker," Severus growled out.

Albus turned and glared at the Potions Master and then spoke back to the flames.
"Do not worry, Poppy. We will find him. He couldn't have gotten too far."

"This is Potter we are talking about," Severus sneered.

Albus quickly stood up, facing Severus.

"Need I remind you that you are the reason Harry is here."

Severus closed his mouth, lowering his head.

"Stand up," Albus ordered. Severus looked up at Albus. "I said, stand up."

Severus sighed and stood in front of Albus.

"Go find, Harry," Albus ordered. Severus looked like he was going to refused, but Albus continued. "You are not a man that hides from your responsibilities. Go find him."

Albus stepped aside, giving Severus a straight path to the chamber door.

Severus and Remus looked at each other for a moment but did not say anything.

"Don't make me ask you again," Albus said, bringing Severus out of his thoughts.

Severus looked at the man who had been there for him since he started at Hogwarts when he was eleven. The last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint the man, but it seemed like that was all he was doing. Truly looking at Albus' expression, he could see the worried lines on his brow, the dullness of his blue eyes, the downward curve of his lips, and Severus knew without a doubt that he was the reason behind Albus looking that way. Sighing, Severus slowly walked towards the door. He was about to leave when he felt a hand gripping his shoulder and spinning him around into an embrace. It took him a second to realize who was actually holding him.

"I'm sorry," Severus gasped when he felt his brother's arms around him.

"Bring Harry back to me, so that I can properly meet him," Remus whispered in his brother's ear. Severus nodded against his brother's shoulder.

Just as quickly as Remus grabbed his brother did he let him go. Severus said nothing as he turned once again and walked out of his chambers.

_0000_0000_0000

It didn't take Severus long to find Harry, no, Potter, always Potter. Severus hated the fact that he was now connected to the child. When he was attacked in his third year, he swore to himself that he would never put anyone through the same hell that he went through, even though, Harry's would be totally different because Severus was bitten by an unknown vampire. Severus never knew who bit him, but he knew that Remus was the reason he was still alive. Albus had once mentioned that it was a good thing that Remus was a werewolf. For some reason, being a werewolf kept Severus from changing him.

Severus knew what Harry was going to need and he really was not looking forward to it. Climbing the stairs, Severus could feel what Harry was feeling.

_0000_00000_0000

"Well, well, well," the statue guarding Albus' office said.

Harry jumped back a little at the unexpected voice.

"Hello," Harry said, shakily.

"Yes," the gargoyle said.

"I-I didn't know y-you could talk," Harry stuttered out.

"No one ever gives me a chance to," the gargoyle chuckled.

Harry tilted his head in fascination. A small smile tugging at his lips.

"Do you talk to many people?" Harry asked. His confidence was building back up as he talked to the statue.

"Only a select few," the gargoyle confessed.

Harry giggled softly. The more he stood with the gargoyle the more comfortable he was feeling. The gargoyle had a calm feeling about it. Harry felt like he was talking to the Headmaster.

"Making a nuisance of yourself?" a silky voice at the end of the hallway asked.

Harry quickly turned around to see his hated Potions Professor walking towards him.

"Professor," Harry squeaked, backing up against the stone gargoyle.

"Don't scare the child, Severus," the gargoyle chided.

Severus rolled his eyes skyward. Ignoring the gargoyle, he put his attention on the child as he got closer.

"Why are you out of bed?" Severus asked.

Harry just stood there, his mouth gaped open.

"Did Madam Pomphrey say you could leave?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the boy.

Harry lowered his head. His throat started burning. He could feel the tears starting to come to his eyes. He didn't understand why he was feeling like this. This wasn't the first time that Professor Snape talked to him like this, so why was it bothering him so much now?

"Follow me," Severus ordered, turning around and walking back down the corridor.

Harry, not moving from the spot, looked up at his Professor's receding back as tears pooled his eyes.

"Go on, child," the gargoyle said, softly.

Harry looked up at the gargoyle just as a tear streamed down his cheek. Harry followed Snape down the corridor. He was already at the stairs when Harry came out of the hallway. Harry saw that Professor Snape was angry, but then again, had Harry ever seen the man when he wasn't angry. He guessed what was puzzling him now was why did he care so much that he was angry.

The walk down towards the dungeon was a quiet one. Severus, trying his best to ignore the child trailing behind him, couldn't help the tug at his heart every time he heard sniffling. But honestly, he didn't know what to say to the boy.

When they got to Severus' chambers, Severus opened the passageway, holding it open for the child.

Harry stood there looking up at the man, not moving.

"Enter," Severus said, curtly, putting his hand on the back of the child's neck and giving him a slight push into the chambers. Harry saw the Headmaster sitting in a chair next to the fireplace and another man sitting on a small sofa across from him. Harry remained at the doorway. Severus walked around him in a huff in the attempt of sitting in the other armchair in the room, but he was stopped by the glare his father was giving him. Remus wasn't looking at his dad and brother; his attention was on the boy standing at the door.

"Harry," Remus said, after a long while of no one speaking. "Come sit," patting the sofa cushion next to him.

Harry looked at the man on the sofa. He seemed friendly enough, but for some reason, he was wary of the man. There were scratches across his face.

"Come in, Harry," Remus pleaded again.

Slowly, Harry walked over to the sofa. When he walked past the Potions Master, he could almost feel coldness within his bones. He looked up and saw the look on the Headmaster's face and audibly gulped. Harry lowered himself where he stood, which was not on the sofa but on the floor next to Severus.

"Dad," Remus called out, trying to get the elder wizard's attention. "Dad, you're scaring Harry."

Albus looked from Severus towards Harry and his eyes seemed to change. They no longer had a hard edge to them. He blinked and looked at the small child sitting on the floor.

"Harry, dear boy," Albus said, soothingly. "Come here, child."

Harry looked up at the two wizards sitting down not moving from where he was, and then looked up at the man standing next to him. Severus looked down at the boy, rolled his eyes and snapped out, "Go." before sitting down on the other chair in the room.

Harry quickly got up and walked over to the Headmaster. Albus gave Severus a cool stare before calming his features and looking at the child now in front of him.

"Harry, how are you feeling?"

Harry looked back at Severus before returning his gaze towards Albus.

"I'm fine, sir," Harry answered.

"Wonderful," Albus said, his eyes twinkling. "Let me introduce you to Remus Lupin," slightly turning Harry so that he is standing in front of the man. "He was one of your father's best friends."

Severus sighed at that admission but did not say a word because of the cold stare he received again from Albus.

"Remus, why don't you escort Harry back to the Infirmary so that Poppy can rest easy knowing that Harry is alright? Then meet us in my office in about thirty minutes."

Severus couldn't help his squirming in the chair after hearing that.

Remus stood up, holding out his arm.

"Come, Harry."

Harry looked at everyone in the room and could see all three were in deep thought, but the Potions Professor looked uncomfortable. Remus put his hand on Harry's shoulder and gently pushed the child out of the room.

When the door clicked behind them, Severus lowered his head because he knew he was in for a long discussion.

TBC