"Minerva, do come in!" Dumbledore smiled and waved her inside. "Cup of tea?"

"Good morning, Albus. Severus." She nodded in Snape's direction before taking a seat on his left. "Yes, thank you. With milk and sugar, please."

Dumbledore poured her tea, adding a drop of milk and two cubes of sugar. Stirring gently, he handed her the cup and saucer.

"I could hardly sleep a wink last night knowing you'd found Harry. How is he? I went by the hospital ward this morning but he was still asleep. I didn't want to wake him, the poor dear."

Professor McGonagall hadn't slept well in the months that Harry had disappeared. She was exhausted and it showed on her face, she looked like she'd aged five years in barely one.

She turned to her right. "Thank you so much, Severus, I'm so grateful you were able to find him before someone else could get to him." She felt like giving him a hug, but she knew Snape was not the kind of man who appreciated having his personal space invaded. She settled by placing her hand on his arm.

"I found him in quite a pathetic state. But according to Poppy, he's uninjured and just a bit underweight. He's lucky to be alive, honestly. I can't believe he's been running around the streets like a little Oliver Twist for the past 10 months."

Albus set his cup down and cleared his throat gently. "I thank you for coming, Minerva. We wanted to talk to you about our plans for Harry."

Professor McGonagall had been part of Dumbledore's meetings about Harry for the last year. She knew that bringing Harry back to Hogwarts was going to be difficult, but she trusted that Dumbledore would do everything he could to keep the boy safe.

"Severus has agreed to take Harry on as an apprentice. Since the Board of Governors has petitioned the Ministry of Magical Education to revoke his enrollment at Hogwarts as a regular student, it is the only way we can keep him here legally."

A look of shock moved across McGonagall face. "An apprenticeship? He's only 12 years-old, Albus, no one will ever approve that. There hasn't been an underage apprentice here in generations."

Snape chimed in. "I'm going to do my best to lobby the Academy of Potion Masters. With the right people backing me, we should be able to get them to approve the request."

Minerva stared at Snape. "Do you really want to do this, Severus? That's an incredibly big responsibility."

"Albus and I have...discussed things. While I was initially quite reluctant, we both decided this is the only option. As bothersome as I find the child, I don't want to see him denied his magical education or a safe place to live."

A heavy silence hung in the air while Professor McGonnagal absorbed everything that had just been said.

"Will Harry come back to Gryffindor? How will this apprenticeship work, exactly?" Minerva glanced back at Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid not, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he pulled out an older looking parchment. "According to the bylaws, Harry will not be able to continue his house affiliation as long as he's not an enrolled student at Hogwarts. The apprenticeship will grant him access to Hogwarts as an apprentice, however, until we can petition the Board of Governors for a reinstatement, I'm afraid we will have to set him up with alternate accommodations at the castle."

Dammit, thought Snape, it never occurred to me where the boy would stay. 

Snape bristled uncomfortably in his chair, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"Historically, when an underage wizard is bound to a Master, they are taken into their home as a ward. This solves both of our problems, as Harry's guardianship would be transferred to Severus when the apprenticeship bond is formed. When he makes the contract, he is accepting full responsibility for Harry, both in his magical education, his advanced study of potions, and all of his worldly needs."

A look of defeat crept across Snape's face as he forced a neutral expression. He knew that he'd be taking responsibility for all aspects of Harry's life, but he had been so fixated on what he wanted to teach the boy that the logistics of the apprenticeship-mainly that Harry would be living with him-had completely escaped his attention.

"If I may, Headmaster. Surely the boy would be able to stay in the dorms during the school year?"

"I'm afraid not, Severus. There is strong precedent and a section of rules governing the rights and regulations of an apprentice, and unfortunately, Harry will have to stay with you. He may visit with his friends on school grounds, but he's not permitted in the dorms."

"What about quidditch?" Minerva eyed Dumbledore with a pleading look. "Surely, he can still play on the quidditch team."

Snape rolled his eyes, as if quidditch matters at all right now. They were trying to save Harry from being shipped off to care of the Ministry where Merlin knows what kind of place he'd end up in or how long it would take before Voldemort got his hands on him. "Honestly, woman, do you really think that's important?"

Minerva looked indignant. "It's important to Harry, I'm sure!" She pursed her lips and gave Snape a mean glare.

"I'm afraid for now, Minerva, Harry will not be able to play for Gryffindor. There are no rules preventing him from flying around practicing with his friends, but until we can catch him up on his work and appeal to the Board, Harry cannot have any official house affiliations."

"Well, I'm not going to be the one to tell him that." Minerva set down her cup with a huff.

"I'll tell him, but I think the three of us should speak to him together. This is going to be a lot of news for him all at once," Dumbledore said as he glanced between the two irritated professors.

When no one else spoke, Dumbledore continued. "Well then, Severus, why don't you take some time to sort out your quarters. We will speak to Harry at lunch. Hopefully he will be well-rested and up for some company."

"What are we going to tell the other students, Albus? I'm sure they're going to want to see him and there will be lots of questions." Minerva folded her hands into her lap and looked back to Dumbledore.

"I think we'll have to keep things quiet right now. The students will go on Easter break in 2 days, hopefully we can get Harry settled and the paperwork completed before they return. This will give Harry, and us, another week to figure things out while the students are gone."

Snape was wondering how he'd possibly keep Harry locked up in secret for another two days. He couldn't even get the boy to sit still for a single class period. This was ridiculous.

"Well, seeing as I need to Potter-proof my quarters, I will take my leave now. I will see you both in the Hospital at lunch."

Snape gave a curt nod to both of them before walking to the door.

Minerva's face was still locked in a scowl. "I am afraid this is not going to go down very well with Mr. Potter. Merlin help us all."

When Harry awoke at 11:30am, it took him a moment to remember where he was. He grabbed his glasses off of the bedside table and sat himself up in bed. He looked around for Madame Pomfrey but the ward was empty.

He grabbed the glass of water and gulped it down. Swinging his feet around the edge of the bed, he pushed himself up, stretching his arms as he stood.

Harry walked to Madame Pomfrey's office and found the door was open, but the room empty. He peaked around to her storeroom but that door was closed. Figuring she'd be back soon, he walked to the washroom.

After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Harry stared into the mirror. Bloody hell, I look awful. His hair was longer than it had ever been, his face was gaunt and pale, and he barely recognized the boy staring back at him.

He walked back toward his bed, suddenly very bored. He searched in the drawers beside him for his clothes, hoping to change out of his pajamas before he saw anyone else. He was sure he'd have visitors soon.

His clothes been so filthy and full of holes, Madame Pomfrey had thrown them out as soon as Harry had changed out of them. Not finding them anywhere, Harry opened up a cabinet and looked to see if there were any extra laying around. All he found were bandages and a few bottles of saline.

Harry walked toward the door of the Hospital Ward. He vaguely remembered Snape telling him not to go anywhere, but he was all alone and very bored. Not to mention the fact that he'd missed Hogwarts desperately. All he wanted to do was forget about the past year and wander in the halls just like he used to do. He even missed the damp smell of the castle.

Harry wandered back to his bed again and debated whether or not to sit back down. He was feeling restless. He glanced at the door and walked again to it. Maybe I can just peak outside. That wouldn't hurt. 

The hallways by the Hospital Ward were empty. Looking at the clock, he knew students were in class for another 15 minutes or so, then they would be piling into the Great Hall for lunch. He wondered if Madame Pomfrey would let him have lunch in the Great Hall. After all, there was nothing really wrong with him.

Then he remembered he was still in pajamas. He was desperate to see his friends and catch up, but there was no way he'd be caught dead in the Great Hall wearing pajamas from the Hospital Ward.

Suddenly, Harry remembered his cloak. He had it, and his wand, inside the backpack he'd come with. The backpack must be here somewhere! He checked again under his bed and in the drawers of his bedside table. Nothing. Then he remembered Madame Pomfrey's office, surely it would be there!

Harry walked quickly to the door of the office, it was open and it appeared like Madame Pomfrey would return any minute. He looked around again and decided to go in and take a closer look. It didn't take him long before he saw his backpack sitting in a corner under her desk. He grabbed it and made his way back to his bed.

If he was being completely honest with himself, Harry knew that he shouldn't have been in Pomfrey's office, and that he definitely shouldn't be taking out his invisibility cloak. But he silenced that little voice inside that screamed Don't do it, Harry and opted to give himself a little adventure. He wasn't going to be able to sit in the hospital ward with nothing to do.

Surely there would be no harm in just taking a little walk through Hogwarts? Maybe stepping outside for a breath of fresh air. He was embarrassed to be in his pajamas, but as long as he was under the cloak, no one would see him. He'd be back in a few minutes, no one would ever know he was gone, right?

He shoved the backpack under his bed, put his wand in his sock, and wrapped the invisibility cloak tightly around him. This feels so good he thought. Without another thought, he stepped out into the empty halls, breathed in the castle air, and went for a stroll.

Madame Pomfrey returned to the Hospital Ward at ten to noon. She had stepped out for a few moments to follow-up with a Ravenclaw 5th year who'd had a horrific quidditch accident last week. She'd had to regrow several bones, and although he was no longer in need of inpatient care in the Hospital Ward, she wanted to make sure that he was feeling better and not developing any infections or complications.

She had thought about leaving a note, but she figured she'd only be gone for 10-15 minutes and surely Harry wouldn't go anywhere in that amount of time. He had been dead asleep when she left him.

Looking at his empty bed, she gasped. She ran to the washroom and realized that it too was empty. There were water droplets in the sink and his toothbrush looked wet. So he'd clearly been there recently.

Not knowing what to do, Madame Pomfrey sent an urgent message to Professor Snape telling him that Harry had disappeared and she wasn't sure where to find him.

Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, Madame Pomfrey felt terribly guilty. She shouldn't have left him alone, even if it was just for a few minutes. They'd spent 10 months tracking the boy down, and now within 12 hours in her care, he was gone again. She was utterly despondent.

Snape arrived momentarily after receiving Poppy's message. Damn that boy! How DARE he attempt to leave the Hospital Ward. I warned him to stay put. Why can't he follow even the most simple instructions!

He was positively livid. When he reached the Hospital Ward and saw that Harry still hadn't returned, he was on the edge of a full-blown fit.

"What happened?" Snape snapped, the anger in his voice visibly apparent on his face.

Madame Pomfrey was sitting at her desk, her arms propped up on the table, her head laying in her hands. "I don't know. He was asleep when I left 15 minutes ago, I only stepped out for a few minutes and when I came back, he was gone!"

She lifted her head up enough to see the Potion Master's face, clenched in a rage.

Snape didn't blame her, well, not completely. She shouldn't have left the boy alone, but that said, he was 12 years-old, not a toddler. Harry was perfectly capable of following instructions and staying put for a few minutes. He had made a decision to ignore Snape's warning and leave the ward without permission. That's what he was truly angry about.

"Get it together, Poppy. We need to find Harry." It came out harsher than he intended. He wasn't very good with sympathy in his best moments, but right now he was filled with rage. He could tell Madame Pomfrey was visibly upset, but he had little patience for dealing with other people's emotions. They needed to find Harry, and fast, and it would be better if they both had a clear head. This was not the time for tears.

"I'm sorry, Severus, I don't know where he went, but it's only been a few moments. He can't be far." She stood up from her chair and tried to compose herself. Where would he have gone?

"He was in his pajamas, I can't imagine he'd get very far. I had to throw away his clothes last night, they were little more than a dirty pile of rags."

Snape paused for a moment, thinking about what the mediwitch said. "Where are his things? He brought a backpack with him, where did you put it?"

Madame Pomfrey turned around and bent under the desk. "It's gone. I had his bag here, but it's been moved!"

Snape was kicking himself for not taking custody of the bag last night. When he'd found Harry, it was the only thing he had in his possession, but he was so concerned in getting the boy back to Hogwarts, that he hadn't thought about what was in the bag or whether it was safe.

Remembering back to a conversation he'd had with Dumbledore a few months ago, he knew that Harry had an invisibility cloak with him. He was obviously smart enough not to use his wand or his magic while he was on the run, but Dumbledore had mentioned that he had a cloak, and they had all hoped this would help Harry survive out on the streets.

Dammit, I bet he has the cloak. He could be anywhere. Snape swore under his breath before turning back to Madame Pomfrey. "I have reason to believe he has an invisibility cloak in his possession. If that's the case, we may have some difficulty tracking him down."

Snape walked over to the boy's bed. His glasses were gone, the glass of water was nearly empty. He bent down and saw the backpack under the bed. Pulling it out he held it in front of him. "Well, he didn't take this with him, but the cloak isn't here so I can only deduce that he has taken his cloak, defied my instruction, and gone for a little walkabout."

He looked through the bag- inside there was a few quid, two ratty t-shirts, a pair of dirty socks, and a paper menu from a takeaway in Brighton. No cloak, no wand.

It was nearly noon, Snape knew that McGonagall and Dumbledore would be arriving shortly for their lunch chat with Harry. He debated whether to go looking for the brat or waiting for them to get there and make a plan.

Just as he was considering his options, the door to the Hospital Ward creaked open, and Harry slinked through, pulling off his invisibility cloak in the process. He looked up and panicked.

"Hi?" squeaked Harry in a high pitch, moving his eyes between the shocked and irate faces of Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey. He closed the door behind him and slowly folded up the cloak. He wished the floor would open up and swallow him. He planted his feet firmly at the doorway, refusing to walk himself to the gallows.

Snape took a deep breath. Control your emotions. "Mr. Potter, how good of you to join us. Madame Pomfrey must have neglected to tell me that you are suffering from amnesia, because I clearly remember telling you NOT to step foot outside of the Hospital Ward."

Harry gulped, shrinking in place at the icey tone and murderous glare his professor had addressed him with. "I'm sorry, I just needed a bit of fresh air, and Madame Pomfrey wasn't here."

Snape made his way ominously toward Harry. He grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "You were supposed to stay here, Potter. Was there something about my instructions that were unclear?" He gave the boy a mild shake.

"No, sir. I'm sorry. I just needed a little bit of air." Harry's green eyes were wide with fear. Seeing nothing but piercing onyx looking back at him, he couldn't hold the gaze and he dropped his head and stared at the floor.

Snape pulled him roughly toward the bed. "Sit down" he barked, tossing the boy onto the cot.

Madame Pomfrey stood by silently watching. She could tell that Snape was furious, but she didn't want to interfere. She felt bad enough for leaving Harry alone, but she would let the professor handle it. She slinked away back to her office. No one noticed or cared.

"Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall will be here shortly. We will be discussing your...future here at Hogwarts. You and I will discuss this little outing later. For now, it would be prudent to sit quietly and reflect on your situation, Potter. You're on extremely thin ice, and while in the past your disobedience has been...tolerated...that won't be the case for much longer."

Harry backed up on the bed, scooting himself as far away as he could from his angry professor. He tucked his legs under the covers. "I only stepped out for a minute. You don't have to freak out about it."

"Silence!" Snape barked, staring him down with a fire in his eyes. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses. You knew very well that you shouldn't have left the ward, but as usual, you decided to do exactly what you wanted without any thought to the consequences of your actions."

Harry dropped his head and avoided the glare. His heart was racing. He wanted to shout back and be angry but there was something about Snape's tone that made him feel like it would be dangerous to open his mouth again.

The clocked ticked audibly in the ward, the only sound perforating the heavy silence in the room.

Snape was furious. He was tempted to throw the boy over his knee right then to show his displeasure, but he recognized that it was neither the time or place. He had to get his emotions under control. He took a breath in and willed himself to calm down. As angry as he was, he knew that there were difficult discussions ahead and he needed Harry to be fully alert and focused when they explained his situation.

Although he was never one to let blatant disobedience slide, even Snape had to admit that his anger was slightly out of proportion. But his nerves were fraught. They'd all been a mess when Harry disappeared, and as much as he was loathe to admit it, he was truly concerned about the boy. There had been much focus on how to keep him at Hogwarts, worrying that the Ministry would come any moment and steal him away, that no one had taken the time to truly discuss what was going on with the boy emotionally. It wasn't Snape's area of expertise, but even he recognized that the boy was likely traumatized. He tried not to imagine all of the terrible things he'd been through. There would be plenty of time for that once he was settled, right now he just needed to keep the boy in one piece and take care of the matter at hand. Be mindful, Severus. The boy has been through a lot.

The minutes ticked by slowly as Snape awaited the arrival of the others, standing in the middle of the ward with his arms crossed and his face rigid.

It wasn't but three minutes later when Professor Dumbledore walked through the door with Professor McGonnagal right behind him.

If he felt the chill in the air, Dumbledore didn't react. He smiled calmly as he made his way toward Harry's cot. "Wonderful to see you, Harry. I do hope you've had a nice rest."

Harry felt relieved not to be alone with Snape. While he hated for the Headmaster to see him lying in bed in pajamas, he smiled back at the Headmaster, grateful for his presence there. "I slept well, thank you Professor Dumbledore."

McGonagall followed quickly to the foot of Harry's bed. "We're so glad you're here, Mr. Potter. We've had quite the fright with you gone so long."

Her words were gentle and her face was full of relief and concern, but Harry could still feel the disapproval in her tone. He blushed slightly at her mild admonition.

"I'm glad to be back. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused." Harry looked up at her for a moment, but was too ashamed to keep the eye-contact for longer than a second.

"Nonsense, Harry, we were just worried about you out there alone for so long alone," Dumbledore chimed in. "I hope you're feeling better now. I'm sure there's a lot you want to say, but I'm afraid right now it's most important to talk with you about your current situation."

With a quick movement of his wand, three chairs made their way around Harry's bed. "Please sit, professors," Dumbledore said, motioning to Snape and McGonagall.

"I know you've been through a lot, Harry, but I want you to know that we want what is best for you. When you didn't come back to Hogwarts at the start of the term, we were all very concerned. You've been gone for nearly 10 months now, and as I'm sure you realize, you've missed quite a lot while you were gone."

Harry's eyes were filling with tears already, despite the gentle tone Dumbledore was using to talk to him.

Dumbledore reached out and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's OK, Harry. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you, but we're all going to have to adapt a bit if we're going to get through this. I'm sorry to say that the Board of Governors at Hogwarts has petitioned the Ministry of Magical Education to remove you as a student."

Harry's eyes grew wide and he yelled out, "What? No! They can't!" Harry started panicking, his hands were shaking and he felt the adrenaline surge through his body.

"Shhhh, calm down, Harry. Take a deep breath and relax." Dumbledore's hand patted his shoulder. "We've found a solution that will allow you to stay here at Hogwarts and continue your magical education. It's an unusual solution, but I think you will find that if we do things right, you will catch up with your classmates and we may be able to appeal the decision and enroll you officially again in future."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Please, sir, I'll do anything. Don't kick me out. I want to stay at Hogwarts. Please. Please don't send me away."

"Of course not, Harry." Dumbledore looked at Snape, signaling with his eyes that he should chime in.

"Mr. Potter," Snape drawled, trying to keep his tone flat and even so as not to excite the boy. "Our options are extremely limited. Since you are no longer enrolled at Hogwarts as a student, the only way you'll be permitted to remain here is as an apprentice. Do you know what this is?"

Harry avoided looking at his professor, instead playing with his hands and staring at the blanket. "Not really."

He'd heard the word before, but only in old books. He had never heard of another student his age being an apprentice. He had no idea what that meant. Is it like being a slave?

Dumbledore stepped in."An apprentice, Harry, is someone who is magically bound to someone else for the purpose of learning an important skill or craft. There are many Hogwarts students that become apprentices when they leave. Professor Snape was once an apprentice to a very prominent Potion Master. It is another path of focused magical education."

"But I don't know what I want to study. How am I supposed to decide this now?" Harry looked like he was about to cry.

"Not to worry, Harry, we want you to do your apprenticeship here at Hogwarts, with one of our professors." Dumbledore hesitated to drop the bomb they were all waiting for, so he continued his explanation without detail. "While you will fulfill all of your obligations as a junior apprentice, you will also have ample time to catch up with the work that you've missed this year. You will still learn everything you should have learned in the 2nd year curriculum, but on top of that you will be given extra lessons. Think of it as an independent study, I think you will find you enjoy the one-on-one instruction, you are an extremely capable young wizard."

Harry was not convinced. He had begged to stay at Hogwarts, and he meant that he'd do anything, but he wanted to come back as a normal student, not whatever this apprenticeship stuff was.

"Who will I work with?" Harry asked, focusing his puppy dog eyes on Dumbledore.

"Your apprenticeship will be with Professor Snape, Harry."

Before he fully finished his statement, Harry jumped out of bed. He screamed out "Are you mental? I can't work with him, he's evil! He hates me! This is crazy!"

Snape stood up and in a flash he had his hand on Harry's shoulder. He willed himself to keep his tone calm. "Sit down, Potter, and mind your cheek. There's no need for hysterics." His voice was surprisingly calm, but he pushed down firmly on the boy's shoulder and gave him a stern look, arching his eyebrow for added effect.

Harry threw himself down on the bed and put his face in his hands, the tears now flowing fully.

Professor McGonagall couldn't take it anymore, she scooted her chair closer to the bed and put her arms around Harry. "There, there, Harry. Everything is going to be just fine. We care about you very much, which is why we're doing everything we can to keep you here. I know you've been through a so much. We just need to get through this right now so we don't have to worry about where you'll go." She accioe'd a handkerchief and pushed it into his hands.

She waited a minute for his sobs to die down. "No more tears, Mr. Potter. Dry your eyes, now. You're quite alright." McGonagall had given in briefly to her soft side, but she only indulged the boy for a few moments. She felt bad for Harry, but her staunch Scottish countenance gave little room for overly emotional displays.

Snape stayed silent, but he was already over it. He had prepared himself for Harry's dramatics, but now that he was sitting in front of him, he wasn't sure just how much more of this he could tolerate. The boy had no choice, and the faster he accepted that, the faster they could all get around to seeing things get done.

Harry wiped his nose with the handkerchief and reached over to the bedside table for a sip of water. His breath hitched slightly as he tried to come to terms with what he'd just heard.

"Why can't I just come back as a normal student?" Harry asked, tears still streaming quietly down his cheeks. "I promise I'll work hard. I can make up the work, I know I can do it if you give me a chance." He pleaded with his words and his eyes.

Snape jumped in. "Enough, Potter. That's not an option. Thanks to your little escapade, you've been kicked out of school and your relatives have given up custody. You can sit here and wallow in your self-pity, but at the end of the day this is your only option if you want to stay at Hogwarts."

McGonagall shot Snape a strong stare, sending the message with her face that she thought he was being too harsh. "Oh for Merlin's sake, Severus, Harry has been through a lot, give him a moment."

Dumbledore chimed in again to try and lighten the mood. "I know this is difficult, Harry, but I think this could be a wonderful situation for you. You will learn things that other students your age might never get to learn. You will get focused studies in several subjects, and you can maximize your potential. On top of that, you will get to stay here at Hogwarts and have your friends nearby and all of the staff here who care for you. You will not be alone. It will be a magnificent opportunity for you."

Harry wasn't convinced. He still had no idea exactly what this apprenticeship entailed, but the hell if he was going to be bound to Snape in any capacity.

"What if I don't want to...what are my other choices?" Harry continued to sniffle and wipe his nose with the handkerchief.

"If you refuse, you'll be carted off to Care with the Ministry, never to return to Hogwarts again," Snape said, matter of factly. "We do not have the luxury of much time, Mr. Potter, so I suggest you decide shortly whether you'd like to continue your magical education or whether you'd prefer to play social services roulette."

There was no way Harry wanted to go into foster care. And regardless of what dangers might lurk here at Hogwarts, he knew this was where he wanted to be. "I guess I'll stay here, then."

"You'll see, Harry, everything will work out just fine. Take some deep breaths" Dumbledore patted Harry's back. "Why don't you calm down now and have some lunch."

"Poppy, can you bring Harry a tray please?" Dumbledore glanced over his shoulder toward the mediwitch's office.

Harry sat in silence, overwhelmed with everything he'd just been told, wishing now that he'd never run away. He could see and hear everything around him, but it seemed very far away. He felt like he was detached from reality. Snape? He was going to be an apprentice to Snape? Shit. I'm so screwed.