Severus winced as the door to the pantry squeaked. As was his habit in the summer, he'd begun an advanced development project some days previous. It was in part due to Albus' prodding. Prodding for something which Severus was still vehemently against. But why should Albus listen to anything he had to say on the subject? It wasn't as though he'd asked him to keep Harry safe or anything. The problem with these development projects was that Severus tended to become rather enthralled in what he was doing. Which led to him losing track of time. Hence why he was creeping through his own bloody home at two in the morning. Honestly. He was so unused to having to sneak around people during the summer. If this were any other year he'd simply head to bed following his usual routine. But now he had to walk past Emmeline, nestled on his couch, avoid that one squeaky step he was constantly fixing and then get to bed. Thank goodness Harry slept at the other end of the hall. That would be a nightmare otherwise. As it was, he froze when the witch on the couch made a noise and rolled over. He desperately wanted to avoid the lecture he knew he would get from her about getting proper sleep. He silently huffed. She was so motherly it was revolting. And depressing. He let his eyes drift closed.

"Severus?"

Damn.

"Emmeline. Go back to sleep." Severus whispered.

"Can you go check on Harry? He was very orange last night." She murmured then rolled over again. Severus blinked. Then he chuckled. Of course! How could he have forgotten that the woman talked in her sleep! He snorted again as he processed what she'd said. Orange? He'd looked normal as far as Severus could tell. He'd have to ask Emmeline about her dream in the morning. Severus moved swiftly for his bed. But as his hand landed on his bedroom doorknob he paused. Perhaps it would be wise to check the boy. He knew that it had all been the machinations of Emmeline's subconscious, but Severus was willing to trust it. The human mind was complex. So Severus moved down the hall. He couldn't hear anything as he approached, so he reached to open the door to take a glance inside. The moment he touch the door handle the silence ended.

"-o! No, stay away from me!" Harry sobbed. "Mum! Mum, please! Don't leave me!"

"Harry!" Severus shouted as he rushed into the room. Why had the boy laid such powerful silencing charms?! "Harry wake up!" He cried as he shook the boy. Instantly his eye shot open, but he seemed delirious with fright.

"I'm sorry uncle Vernon! I'll try to be quiet! Please don't put me in the cupboard again!" He sobbed, flinching away from Severus' hands into the corner of the bed against the wall. Severus blinked in shock. The cupboard? Harry wasn't talking any sense. But he obviously still asleep, at least mentally.

"Listen to my voice Harry," Severus said calmly. "Take a breath. You're safe. You're in Dover with Emmeline and me." Slowly the light of recognition entered Harry's eyes. 

"Professor?" He said in confusion. Then he rubbed his eyes, clearing away tears and sleep. "what happened?"

"You were having a nightmare," Severus murmured before he folded his arms. "Now would you care to explain the silencing spells? You are aware that it is technically illegal to perform magic outside of Hogwarts unless your life depends on it." 

"What silencing spells?" Harry asked quietly. Severus blinked.

"You mean to tell me that you have been putting them up using accidental magic?" Harry shrugged. "Yes or no Harry."

"I guess so." Was the teen's noncommittal response. Severus narrowed his eyes.

"How long have you been having nightmares, Harry?" The teen shrunk a little, trying to make himself as small as possible, and shrugged. "How. Long?"

"Since I came here," Harry murmured. "They've gotten a bit better. I kept seeing aunt Marge's dead dogs for about a week." 

"You've been having nightmares for two months?!" Emmeline cried in alarm from the doorway. Both Harry and Severus jumped and looked over at her. Her usually braided hair was falling around her shoulders in cascading waves, making her look dishevelled. "Harry darling! Why didn't you say anything?!" The teen looked away.

"I… I thought you were just ignoring me." Harry murmured. He'd never realized that he had been casting silencing charms over his room. But that explained why his uncle hadn't barged into his room to scream at him that first night back. He'd had a nightmare about Tom Riddle, with ink pouring out of his eyes and mouth, screaming about murder. And judging by how he'd finally woken himself up, i.e. landing hard on the bedroom floor covered in a cold sweat and panting like he'd run a marathon, he hadn't exactly been quiet.

"Harry," Severus began sternly. "I know you have a rather grim view of my sense of empathy and sympathy. But even I would not leave someone to two months of intense mental distress. Much less a teenage boy." 

"And what made you think I would let him?!" Emmeline cried wrapping her hands around Harry's. The boy shrugged. 

"What was your dream about?" Severus said as he sat on the boy's bed. He seemed a bit stunned by their concern, which worried Severus further. He now had enough evidence against the Dursleys to pray they were receiving their proper divine punishments. Every time Harry flinched or hesitated just added to the pile. 

"I was here. In Dover, on the beach. Mum was there too. We were just walking along. It was nice. Quiet. The kind of thing I always wished I could do." Harry murmured as he pulled his knees to his chest. Emmeline hummed and moved to sit on the bed as well. Her own hand had never left the boys, even as he shifted into his current position. So she began to run her fingers through his hair in a way Severus knew must be comforting. "But then these shadows started coming out of the rocks. It was like the beach itself was fighting us." Harry's breath grew slightly hitched. "Then something grabbed mum and started dragging her into the ocean." He started crying, choking back his sobs. "I tried to save her! I really did! But there were just too many and I couldn't do anything! I tried! I'm so sorry!" Harry sobbed before he finally pulled his hand away from Emmeline and sobbed into them. Severus gestured to Emmeline to step back as he pulled Harry's hands away from his face.

"Harry," he began gently, "what is your summer homework?" Harry hiccupped at him in confusion.

"To say 'I'm not responsible for my family's deaths.' every day?" Harry muttered.

"And to believe it." Severus reiterated. "You are not responsible for anything that death eaters or the dark lord does. And of the deaths that have regrettably followed you, your parents are ones which are your fault the least." Severus swallowed thickly, "and your mother least of all." Harry blinked at him. Severus took a deep breath. "Your mother sacrificed herself to protect you, Harry. She willingly gave her life to keep you safe. To take fault or blame for that is to discredit the nobility of her actions. She loved you. More than anything in the world. Her death was not about fault or destruction. It was about love." Severus finished passionately. Harry looked over at Emmeline and nearly choked again. The woman was staring at Severus with a look akin to bitter heartbreak. Then she looked away as if she couldn't stand to look at him any longer or she might shatter. Harry looked back at his potions professor and scanned his face.

"You loved her." He mumbled. Severus flinched back as if Harry had slapped him. "You were in love with my mum." There was silence in the room.

"Yes." Severus finally admitted. "For a time. But that was many years ago. Long before you were born." But the way Emmeline scowled proved to Harry that the man was lying. Or at least, as far as Emmeline was concerned he was. Severus let out a sigh before he glanced at the clock on Harry's bedside table. "It is nearly 3 am Harry. Try to get some more sleep. At least a few more hours." Then he waved his wand. "and no more silencing charms. From now on, Emmeline or I will come to wake you." Harry gave the man a skeptical look. "Trust me, Harry. Just lay down and close your eyes." Severus muttered, slowing his voice. As Harry relaxed Emmeline came forward again and resumed the carding of his hair. "Count backwards from 100," Severus instructed. Harry made a noise but slowly stilled until his breath evened out. Emmeline drew back and lead the way out of the room. Severus closed the door as silently as he could. Then instantly the hallway became the most awkward room Severus had ever been in.

"You lied to him." Emmeline accused. Severus flinched.

"Emm…"

"Don't 'Emm' me." The woman snapped. Then she turned away with a grumble. "Hell hath no fury, Severus."

"Emmeline." He repeated, placing his hand on her arm. "Please listen. I did not lie to him. I told him I loved lily."

"Years ago," Emmeline muttered. "But we both know that is a blatant lie."

"Emmeline, listen!" Severus snapped in frustration. The woman clammed up, realizing that Severus was genuinely irritated. "I stopped loving Lily the day my parents died." He said flatly. Emmeline blinked. "Lily wasn't the one who held me in my grief and promised to stay by my side. She didn't even come to my mother's funeral."

"I didn't either," Emmeline argued. 

"You were still at Hogwarts," Severus said bitterly. "You had an excuse. Lily didn't." Emmeline sighed.

"And yet." She muttered. Severus looked at her, waiting for her to finish her thought, but she just huffed and turned away. "I'm going back to bed. Goodnight."

"Emmeline," Severus began

"I'm too tired to keep arguing with you Severus," Emmeline whined. 

"No," Severus said with a huff. "I wanted to ask you to keep Harry occupied tomorrow. I'm going to be… investigating something."

"Oh?" The woman asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just keep him busy," Severus muttered. Emmeline huffed before she frowned.

"I can think of a favour I can call in." She muttered. "What time is it?"

"3:15," Severus muttered in exhaustion. He really was very tired.

"5:15… he should be up by now." She murmured with a grin before she turned and rushed back downstairs. Severus rose an eyebrow but didn't question as he finally turned into his room to get some sleep. 

Harry woke up surprisingly well rested the next morning. It was the smell that woke him. A sweet smell he knew well, after a decade of standing over a frying pan dreaming of table scraps that would never remain. He stumbled out of his room with almost zombie-like hunger until he was standing in the kitchen doorway, salivating.

"Good morning Harry!" Emmeline cried happily as she piled three blueberry pancakes up onto a plate. "Here you are. Syrup and strawberries are on the table." Harry stood there, holding the plate in his hands. He was afraid to move lest he completely break down. He was still surprisingly raw from the revelations of last night. 

And now Emmeline was fulfilling one of his earliest childhood dreams.

Aunt Petunia almost always made Dudley one of his favourites after he had a bad dream as a child. Usually, it was something like a sundae or chocolate cake. 

But Harry's childhood favourite had been pancakes. Not even the scratch ones, since aunt petunia didn't know how to make the batter correctly, just the stuff from the box mixed with water. Sometimes she'd add dried blueberries or chocolate chips. Harry remembered the one and only time he'd got to have any. Dudley had a sleepover with Piers. The night before the boy had stayed up extremely late, pigging out on sweets and popcorn while they watched Star Wars on the telly. They'd both been so sick the next morning that Dudley had two bites of his pancakes before he ran upstairs and sicked up. Harry had been allowed to eat the rest of Dudley's pancake.

 It was amazing.

And ever since, Harry had loved pancakes. He always tried to burn a couple, or ruin his first pancake on purpose, in the hopes that the Dursleys would leave it for him. But Dudley was always such a greedy arse that he'd gobble them all up and leave Harry nothing. 

In his youth, he'd always dreamed that after his nightmares, his mum would magically come back, and she'd make him pancakes like aunt Petunia made sundaes for Dudley.

"Oh, Harry darling! What's the matter, dear?!" Emmeline cried in shock. Harry blinked and realized he'd been crying for some time now.

"Thank you." He choked out. "You have… no idea how much this means to me." Emmeline looked at him with a touch of worry before she stepped forward and gave him a side hug.

"Do you still want blueberries? I have a few plain ones if you prefer." Emmeline offered. Harry shook his head rapidly before he finally turned to the table. Setting the pancakes down and wiped his face before covering the pancakes in strawberries and syrup. Then he looked up on a whim.

"Do we have whipped cream?" He asked quietly.

"I can get some right away!" Emmeline cried from where she'd been watching Harry for any more signs of distress. The boy seemed so exhausted today! Maybe she shouldn't have sent that letter after all. She wasn't sure if the excitement would be good for him. But still, she set the whisk going with a spell and served her own pancakes, then grabbed the powdered sugar and melted chocolate. " Would you like to try it the way my mother always made them?" She offered with a smile. Harry nodded then watched as Emmeline drizzled chocolate over his syrup and strawberries, then shook the sieve spoon of powdered sugar, till just a light dusting was over it. Then she dipped back into the kitchen and returned with the homemade whipped cream. "I've never had it with whipped cream myself, but I'm sure it's very good." Harry nodded and scooped two tablespoons of the fluffy creme onto the top of the pancakes. Once again the emotions threatened to overwhelm him as he stared down at this most precious of meals. "Are you sure your alright dear?" Emmeline asked again. Harry nodded with a smile.

"Yes. Thank you again, Ms. Emmeline." Harry said quietly. Then he took his first bite. Instantly he moaned in delight. The blueberries were fresh and tangy, bursting in his mouth with flavour. The syrup had soaked into the pancakes, making them sweet and delicious. The whipped creme melted in his mouth, mixing with the powdered sugar and chocolate. Then the strawberry joined the blueberries to add a final burst of sweet and tangy goodness. Emmeline smiled as he dug into his meal with a relish common to teenage boys. She chuckled as he scrapped his fork over the plate to scoop up the last dropped of the sticky syrup. 

"Would you like seconds?" She asked happily. Harry smiled but shook his head. 

"I think I'd burst." He admitted as he pat his stomach. Three were surprisingly filling. They hadn't been small though, not much smaller than the plates in fact, and very thick and fluffy so that probably played a part. Emmeline glanced up at the clock and made a noise.

"Well good! We've got to go meet a friend of mine in an hour or so. I told him to wait for low tide." Emmeline said before she stacked the plate. Harry made a noise of stress as she tossed them into the sink. They shouldn't leave the syrup sitting like that! Then suddenly the scrub brush rose up on its own and began to wash the rest of the dishes as well. "Come along Harry. You'll enjoy this." She promised as she pulled on her green shawl. "especially if you're excited to learn more about magical creatures."

"It does sound interesting," Harry agreed, "even if the thought of Hagrid does make me a bit nervous." 

"I'm sure you and Severus are exaggerating," Emmeline argued. "He can't be that bad!" 

Severus walked down Magnolia Crescent with what he hoped was a casual air. He apparated into Arabella Figg's backyard, startling one of her many cats as he landed. She had merrily waved at the window, looking only slightly green now that the worst of the infection had run its course. He was suddenly reminded to get Harry his boosters. All 8 of them, including the yearly dose for flobberworm flu. Honestly how the boy hadn't been killed by a magical sickness yet was in it of itself a major miracle! So if he looked a bit stormy he should be forgiven, he was slightly annoyed with Albus Dumbledore right now. The man's possible negligence was leaving him a touch upset. Suddenly a pair of teens on bikes cut him off as he crossed into Privet Drive. He held his breath from cursing the pair.

"Damn you, hooligans!" A loud voice to his left. He looked over to see a woman walking a small Scottish terrier in a sweater of all things. Didn't she realize the thing had fur? That it was perfectly capable of keeping itself warm? Evidently not. "Can I help you?" The woman demanded haughtily. Severus looked up, realizing that he'd been staring at the dog for a noticeable time. 

"My apologies madame," Severus said with a tip of his head, "I'm afraid I have a lot on my mind. But, could you perhaps direct me to number 4?"

"Oh, I wouldn't bother I'm afraid." The woman declared. "The Dursleys are on holiday. The entire family left some time ago, and they've yet to return. My Dan has been going over to water their gardens for them for a few weeks now." She said plainly. "But I'm sure they'll be back eventually. Their son goes to a very prestigious private school in the area. Petunia wouldn't let him miss even one day I'm sure." The woman muttered with a roll of her eye. But Severus had latched onto something she'd said much earlier.

"This Dan wouldn't happen to grow roses would he?" He asked quietly, praying that, for once, Lady luck had smiled on him.

Harry followed Emmeline down the beach along the cliffs with slight trepidation. They had been walking along for some time now. They were almost directly under the tallest point of the cliffs for sure. There wasn't another soul for at least a mile on either side. Who could she possibly want to meet all the way out here? And why couldn't they meet close to the bay?

"He should be here fairly soon. We met a few years ago when I was called on as a consultant for a magical archaeology expedition." Emmeline explained as she glanced at her watch. "They'd uncovered an ancient city in the Black Sea. He was instrumental in transporting artifacts and negotiating with the local merfolk for safe passage."

"You help at archaeological sites?" Harry asked.

"Most magical buildings, particularly ancient ones, possess some truly astounding runic cornerstones. A magical archeologist can have a minor mastery in runes, But if none of those working on that site are, they will call an architect as their certifications tend to lean into runes more heavily. I just so happened to be close friends with the particular archaeologist running the expedition and she knew I would be excited about it." Emmeline chuckled. "She's always tried to convince me to be an archaeologist as well. But I didn't want to spend all my time looking at crumbled old buildings. I wanted to make things. And while it was exceptionally exciting to study that cornerstone and interact with the runes on its surface, It was much more exciting using what I learned to create new structures." Emmeline explained. Harry grinned before gazing out at the water. Then he frowned.

"Hang on? The man we're meeting helped ferry artifacts? How could he do that if the city was-" he was cut off as a massive wave suddenly shot up from the otherwise peaceful ocean. Harry stumbled back in awe and surprise as a massive blue-green… thing jumped out of the water and landed on the surf. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a strange hybrid creature with the front half of a horse, with fins and gills instead of ears and black beady eyes with a somewhat slimy-looking mane of tentacles instead of hair. Its lower half was covered in scales and ended not with a second set of legs ending in hooves, but a massive fishtail nearly half as tall as he was, which was swishing back and forth in the water lazily.

"Emmi!" A loud booming voice cried with a thick accent. "Wonderful to see you again!" 

"And you Yusuf!" Emmeline cried back. Harry blinked as the tall middle Eastern man unbuckled his legs then turned and slid off the creature. "Harry, this is Yusuf Kaya. Yusuf, this is my dear friend Harry."

"Harry!" The man cried with a grin, holding his hand out and then giving Harry a body-quaking handshake. "Nice to meet you!"

"What is that thing?" Harry responded, still reeling from the dramatic entrance. The man let out a loud laugh. 

"This is Adem! He's a hippocampus." Yusuf proclaimed. "Emmeline said you were interested in learning more about magical creatures. I took magizoology for my mastery. I learnt about all sorts of creatures. Hippocampus are my favourite of course." He said with a laugh as Adem snorted and pushed into him. Harry grinned. "Would you like to say hello?" 

"Er…" Harry began nervously. Adem was massive! His head was almost as big as his torso! And his eyes, so black and shiny, were a little disconcerting. 

"Here Yusuf proclaimed as he stepped forward, unbuttoning a pouch on his hip with a smile. "Hold out your hand." Harry did as instructed. Then Yusuf dropped a pile of green slimy gunk in his hand. He grimace and shuddered as it dribble through his fingers. Yusuf laughed at his face. "If your squeamish about that boy, you'll not go far in magizoology!" So Harry swallowed thickly and banished his nausea. Yes, it was slimy, but at least it wasn't too smelly. "Just hold out your hand and let Adem have a taste. Then he'll let you pat him. Hippocampus are a bit like dogs. Feed them enough and they'll die for you." he joked. So Harry took a step forward and held out his hand. The hippocampus took a curious sniff, as soon as he did he dipped his surprisingly soft nose into Harry's hand and slurped up the goop with relish, his tail swishing happily. Then he tossed his head and knickered. "Give him a scritch now." Yusuf encouraged. So Harry reached up and scratched the hippocampus' face. The skin was surprisingly soft and smooth, yet not at all slimy. The mane was a bit slimy, but not sticky, just kind of wet. Emmeline leaned over and whispered something in Yusuf's ear which made the man's face light up. "Would you like a ride?" 

"What?!" Harry cried in shock. He was sure about that one! Feeding and petting him was one thing, going on his back in the water was a completely different story! How did Yusuf even breathe down there!?

"Come on!" Yusuf encouraged before he picked Harry up, making the teen yelp and dropping him on Adem's back. The hippocampus whinnied in excitement and stomped his hooves. "Barış!" Yusuf barked before he showed Harry where to put his legs through the belt loops on either side of the hippocampus's saddle. Then Yusuf pulled the belt tight around both their legs. "Here you are!" He said as he handed Harry a pair of goggles not dissimilar from the swimming goggles Dudley wore. Once they were right the man tapped his head and a bubble of air suddenly wrapped around his mouth and nose. So that's how he breathed underwater! "Now hold on to his mane tight, I have the reins. Are you ready?" Harry nodded, despite the fact that he was still nervous as heck. Adem was very powerful, and Harry was on his back. "Alright!" Yusuf cried before he pulled the reins back towards the ocean. Adem squealed again and turned for deeper water. "Gitmek!" Yusuf commanded. Harry's stomach gave a lurch as the creature rose up and then dove down into the water. He gasped as the cold water struck his face. The speed of the creature's dive pushed his hair back wildly as they descended down until the hippocampus' hooves grazed the sea floor with each stride. As powerful as he had seemed on land Harry marvelled at his speed in the water. They passed schools of fish and massive ethereal rock formations. Even a few sunken ships. The sunlight filtered down casting everything in a beautiful blue glow. Harry reached out a hand, feeling the water current push against it. A smile spread across his face. If this is what it was like to work with magical animals all the time, he definitely made the right choice! Suddenly Adem's course changed, he rushed for the surface, charging the light blue ocean ceiling. Harry braced himself as Adem suddenly leapt out of the water, spinning in the air and landing with the same monumental splash he'd made when he'd first arrived. Harry was still a bit dizzy from the spin as Yusuf pulled Adem's reins and urged him back to the shore. As the hippocampus beached once again Emmeline clapped happily. Harry stumbled slightly as Yusuf unbuckled him and set his back down on dry land. 

"Well?" She asked happily, tapping her wand on his head to dry him off and warm him up. "How was it?" 

"Amazing!" Harry cried happily. He turned back around and rewarded the hippocampus with another nose scratch. Adem snorted in his face and knickered. Yusuf laughed. 

"Sounds to me like he likes you!" He declared. Harry grinned. Then Yusuf tied his legs again.

"I'm afraid I've got to read back. The Istanbul circuit is in two weeks and we have a lot of training to do." Yusuf declared. 

"Istanbul!" Harry cried in shock. "You came all the way from Turkey?!"

"Yep!" Yusuf declared. "It only took four hours too! I'm pretty sure it's a record!" Then he pulled the reins back and again. Then with a final wave and shout, he disappeared below the waves again. Harry smiled at the ocean, now knowing some of the secrets that lay below its churning surface. 

"Too soon for lunch?" Emmeline offered. Harry grinned. 

"Not if we walk to The White Horse! It might take a while, but I think I could get us there if we keep walking along the beach."

"The White Horse?" Emmeline questioned. Harry grinned.

"Come on!" He assured her. 

Severus watched with his hands folded as Anne served him and Dan a tea service while the small sweatered terrier snoozed under the garden tea table. Once she did Dan leaned back and looked at him contemplatively.

“So you work at St. Brutus’s?” Dan demanded with a raised eyebrow. Severus nodded, despite still not being entirely sure what these muggles were talking shout. “Brave man.”

“It's not nearly so dire,” Severus muttered around his tea. “Most of the students are moderately behaved.” he imagined the Weasley twins and grimaced, “save a few.”

“And Harry? Which is he?” Dan asked. Severus rolled his eyes.

“Harry is an interesting case. The boy never seems to cause trouble, at least not on purpose. But he has an irritating habit of attracting it.” Severus complained. Dan hummed. 

“Figures,” he murmured. Then he gave the man a hard look. “I'm going to be honest with you, sir, but when Petunia told us he was headed to St. Brutus’s, I didn't think Harry would survive. No matter what Petunia might say, he's not exactly an ‘Incurable Criminal Boy’.” instantly Severus blinked. Incurable criminal?! Petunia told her neighbours Harry was going to some kind of boy’s only prison?! “Does he have any friends?”

“A few.” Severus supplied readily, speaking truth where he could. “Like most, he has a core around him. He does have a few rivalries, but that is to be expected.”

“Well, that's good to hear,” Dan muttered. “I was honestly worried he'd end up alone again.”

“Again?” Severus questioned. Dan frowned at him.

“You said Harry talked about his life here?” Severus nodded. “So he must have mentioned his cousin,” Severus remembered.

“Ah yes. The boy were rivals as well.”

“Rivals gives Harry too much credit,” Dan muttered. “He was Dudley's punching bag. That’s how we met actually. The boy had quite a shinner one day, I asked him how it happened. He said he hadn't been fast enough and Dudley‘d caught him.”

“His cousin beat him up?” Severus demanded angrily. 

“Almost daily when they were younger,” Dan recalled. “But Harry got quicker as they got older. And better at sneaking around.” Severus frowned. So that explained how it was he could explore the castle so silently. He had practice trying to avoid his terrible housemate. “I will say, the first time I saw it, I thought about calling the police.” 

“Hmm?” Severus questioned.

“Well I thought it could have been Vernon,” Dan admitted. “Have you ever met the man?” Severus shook his head. “Consider yourself lucky! He was a brute and make no mistake!” Dan shook his head. “Once Harry was cutting the grass when he tripped on the cord and punched a hole through our hedge. Vernon screamed at him for a solid hour. And the kid just stood there like a wall, nodding and saying yes. If that’d been me I woulda decked him and suffered the consequences.” Dan admitted with a snort. Severus went a little pale.

“How old was he at the time?” Dan frowned.

“Hard to say really. The boy was always so small. But if I had to guess, maybe 8?” Severus balked.

8!?

He remembered his own lawnmower growing up. It was twice as heavy as he was now and difficult to manoeuvre when it wasn't running. How on earth had Dursley expected his nephew to manage at 8?! And he was small for his age! Severus frowned.

“Did that happen often?”

“The mowing? About the usual amount. Or do you mean the crashing into the hedge? That never happened again.”

“Forgive me,” Severus amended, “but it seems to me as though Harry had almost been set up to fail there. It couldn't have been easy for him pushing that mower around.”

“Not to mention the heat.” Dan agreed, gaining a small frown. “Truthfully I'd never really thought of it like that before, but now that you mention it, that does seem like what it was. And if thats the case! There is one thing I can definitely think of!” The man stood and walked towards the back gate. Severus followed him, stepping through the alley and watching as Dan unlatched the garden gate for number 4. He followed him down the garden path to an absolutely immaculate rose bush. The blooms were bright pink with a diameter of a human hand and each had the familiar fragrance that Severus remembered his mother wore. They were truly perfect English roses.

“This bush was dead four years ago.” Dan declared a matter of factly. “I'm not exaggerating! It was a barren stalk! Not one leaf! Then one day Petunia marched Harry out here and told him she wanted the garden to be perfect. She was hosting a garden party or something and wanted everything ready by the end of the summer. I remember thinking ‘there's no way that bush ‘ll bloom by August. But Harry managed it somehow. After just a week of watering and pruning it had leaves again. And the blooms burst a week before Petunia's big party. She boasted about how hard she'd worked to all our neighbours. But I knew better. When everyone was gone I asked Harry just how he did it.” at this Dan huffed. “He still won't tell me his secret! Just said water and weeding but I know better! No way you can get from dead to blooms with just water! There had to be something else!” Dan finished.

Severus knew how he'd done it.

Harry had used magic. 

He had desperately wanted those blooms to be ready. And his magic had answered his plea. It was still answering it even now. The bush looked a thousand times better then any of the blooms he’d seen on his walk. Suddenly Severus sneered.

Petunia Dursley had dared to take credit for his magic!?

After she had vilified it so heavily!

He wanted to drag her up from the pits of hell and throttle her right back!

Dan suddenly made a noise of alarm and stepped back. Severus blinked and realized that his magic had gotten a bit out of hand. Several of the tulips around the roses had wilted and the crawling ivy was now barren of leaves. He took a deep breath, shaken from a display he'd not made since his teenage years. 

“Thank you, sir,” he said before he drew his wand. Then he bewitched the muggle, sending him off with a modified memory of him seeing Severus off at the back garden. Severus was grateful for the Dursley's tall garden wall, perfect for keeping the nosy neighbours out. Then he turned to the conservatory and opened the door with a spell. The inside of the house was covered in a thick layer of dust but was otherwise immaculately pristine. Severus drifted through the barren kitchen to the living room and observed all he could. The picture frames showed a chubby baby growing into an even chubbier boy with a mop of blond hair plastered to his round head. Not one photo of Harry was on the walls. Severus glanced around before he turned for the stairs. The first room he found was filled nearly to the brim with toys scattered on nearly every surface but the bed. There was a personal computer, a tv, and multiple gaming consoles, as well as a massive stack of game cartridges. There were tapes and CDs and action figures and card games. Severus stared at this temple of excess with a sneer. It was almost disgusting how spoiled this child was. Even Draco was not so decadent as this. Severus turned to the next room and blinked.

Locks.

A whole row of them. 

And underneath that a small cat flap. 

The door was blasted off its hinges by Severus' rage. He couldn't contain it. Inside the room was so bare he nearly screamed. They had let their son wallow in the lap of luxury, and locked their nephew away like a dangerous criminal! Then his eyes fell on what he was sure was one of Harry's few personal treasures. A small leather-bound book, well thumbed at the edges. A quick inspection made him choke. 

It was a photo album. 

It contained dozens of photos, some he even recognized, of James, Lily, and Harry, as well as several of his friends, and even one of Hogwarts itself, with owls swooping by in the distance. Severus grabbed it and waved his wand, summoning anything else that might belong to Harry. A Gryffindor banner whizzed up from under the bed, as did a chocolate frog card and a sketch of Hedwig, looking mopily from her locked cage (yet another thing that made Severus seeth). Then suddenly he heard a rattling from down below. Severus frowned and walked back out of the room and down the stairs. The door to the cupboard under the stairs was rattling. Severus blinked and reached forward to unlatch and open it. As soon as he did, an empty ink bottle floated into his hand, followed by a single piece of tatty paper with two push pins sticking into it. Evidently, Harry considered the pins his as well. But Severus froze as he turned the paper over and stared down at it. It was a crudely written sign, obviously written with a child's hand, and quite faded and wrinkled with age. but while the doodles were the nonsensical etchings of childish whims, the writing was surprisingly legible.

Harry’s Room