The light filtering through the room flickered over Harry’s eyes occasionally, and he gave in and allowed his eyes to blink open. He sat up abruptly as his brain slowly brought back the events of last night, and he relaxed in the plush armchair he was lying in. The chair had been reclined back and a pillow had been placed under his head sometime during the night, and Harry stretched briefly, feeling more rested than he had ever felt after a night in his cupboard. He was sure that a chair would not be more comfortable than a mattress, but this chair was amazing, and Harry leaned back in the seat, not wanting to leave the comfort quite yet.

He took a moment to scan the living space. The house wasn’t as scary in broad daylight as it was at night. The curtains were opened just enough to light up the living room and he could see the intricate details of the fireplace, a small fire still flickering on a small log. Harry wondered how the fire had stayed alive all night, then he had the faintest impression that the fire had only stayed alive while he had been sleeping because it was dying fast. Another few seconds passed, and the fire was completely dead, smoke rising in the chimney. How strange.

Harry turned his attention to the rest of the living space, which was very clean and detail oriented, far different than the creepy haunted house the other boys had described last night. Not even a cobweb on the ceiling. Maybe if this man fixed up the outside of the house, people would be less scared of the property. The inside was homey and comfortable.

A cat meowed above his head, and Harry looked up to see Boomslang lying above his head, kneading the pillow. When their eyes met, Boomslang stood up and butted his head against Harry’s, earning a laugh and an ear rub.

“Hi, Boomslang,” Harry greeted, petting the cat down his back.

After a few more pets, Harry yawned and sat up in the seat, feeling around for the knob to sit the chair up. Once the chair was upright, Harry found his glasses on the nearby end table and put them on. He folded the blanket and draped it over the back of the chair, then propped the pillow up against one of the arms. He stood still in the center of the living room as he debated what to do next, deciding whether to search out the strange man from last night or just wait until the man appeared himself. What was his name again? Sev—Severus, that was it. What an unusual name but at least memorable.

After standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room for a minute or two, Harry decided that Severus wasn’t going to show up anytime soon. That, or the man really enjoyed sleeping in. Harry walked carefully through the house, not wanting to make a lot of noise while Severus was still sleeping. He found a plate of breakfast at the dining table full of eggs, toast and jam, and a small yogurt parfait with a cup of milk to the side. Harry touched the plate. It was still very warm, so either it was just put together or the man had used some strange trick to keep it warm for him.

There was a note next to the plate of food that read: Running errands. Eat your breakfast and do not leave the house. –S.S.

So, the strange man wasn’t home.

Had he really been left alone in a stranger’s house? There had to be some kind of law against that. And what was keeping him here anyway? Severus was a stranger, after all, and had no control over him. He could walk out the door now and take himself home.

Of course, Harry didn’t really want to go back to the Dursleys’ just yet. He had so many questions he needed answered. Like how the man knew his name or where he lived for starters. And what he meant about keeping Boomslang. As much as he would love to keep the cat, he was sure Aunt Petunia would have a conniption over it.

Speaking of Boomslang, the cat was currently pawing at the plate of food, as if trying to grab some eggs for itself, but somehow, the cat’s paw could not touch the food. Then, Boomslang tried to stick his head into the cup of milk, but his whiskers did not touch the rim of the glass. Harry found this very peculiar, so he hesitantly reached out and touched the glass of milk with no problems, then brought it to his lips. After taking a couple gulps, not realizing how thirsty he actually was, he set the glass back down and licked his lips, much to the envy of Boomslang as the cat resumed trying to get a couple licks himself.

“No, kitty,” Harry said, picking up the cat off the table and setting him on the floor. “I don’t think you’re supposed to have milk anyway.”

Finding the smell of the breakfast enticing, Harry sat down at the table and ate the food ravenously. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a delicious, warm breakfast, and one he didn’t even have to make. That was very kind of Severus, he would have to make sure to thank the man properly when he returned from his errands.

Boomslang sat at Harry’s feet, watching with pleading eyes as Harry managed to finish every bite of his food. Harry glanced down and smiled at the cat.

“Sorry, none left to share,” Harry said. “Maybe there’s cat treats around?”

Harry picked up his dishes and carried them out to the kitchen. He set them down in the sink and reached for sponge when the sponge shot forward and began to scrub the dishes on its own, the dish soap rising and tilting to add just enough liquid to suds up the sink that filled itself with water.

Harry jerked back and watched with mouth agape as the dishes cleaned themselves and aligned themselves neatly in a drying rack. Experimentally, Harry pinched his arms a couple times. Surely, he was dreaming all of this bizarre activity. But despite the pinches, the last of the dishes landed in the drying rack and the sponge returned to its place while the sink drained of water and soap.  

“Did you see that, too?” Harry asked Boomslang as the cat rubbed against his legs.

“Meow!” Boomslang cried loudly, more concerned about the promised treats than the flying dishware.

Harry blinked at the sink a few more times before he turned away from it. This house reminded Harry a lot of all the freaky things he had done growing up. He recalled the man’s words last night about how he had dried and cleaned Harry’s clothes: magic. Harry looked down at his jumper, checking it over for any sign of mud or dirt, but there was nothing. Did that mean magic was real after all? So far, this house seemed to support the existence of magic. Could that mean that Harry had magic powers?

Harry looked down at his hands, wondering if he could attempt to make something happen just as unexplained things had happened when he was younger. He never attempted to willingly try to make freaky stuff happen as it always upset his relatives, but maybe if he really thought hard about it, he could do something magical like the house was doing.

Harry glanced around the kitchen, looking for anything that might resemble a cat treat container. His eyes landed on a small cat shaped jar on top of the fridge, and he reached a hand out for it and thought hard about bringing the jar to him, picturing it flying into his hands. He concentrated on the jar, frowning slightly as he urged it to come to him, nearly pleading with the jar in his head.

The small ceramic container jerked forward an inch or so, and Harry grinned as he realized he was magical, and he pushed harder for the container, and the jar slid forward another couple of inches, teetering on the edge of the fridge now. Boomslang danced at Harry’s feet eagerly and Harry pushed just a little more, his hands ready to catch the jar when it fell over the ledge of the fridge.

The jar was just about to topple over when the other black cat, Belladonna, jumped up on the fridge and pawed the jar, stopping it from falling. She pushed the jar back to its rightful place, then sat and looked down at Harry, her tail flicking back and forth.

Boomslang hissed up at her while Harry frowned, unsure if the cat had knowingly stopped him from getting the treats or if she was simply being a cat. They did seem awfully smart for everyday felines, but what did Harry know about cats? These were the first two he had met.

“Do you not want any treats?” Harry asked the feline who ignored his question in favor of grooming her face. Harry’s frown deepened, then he looked down at Boomslang, who had what could only be described as an annoyed look in his eyes. Harry decided it was time to explore the house and leave the cat treats alone for now.

Boomslang followed Harry as he returned to the living space, his eyes scanning every inch of the room. He walked over to the large stained-glass windows and peered through the faded staining. It was a cloudy day, and by the droplets on the window, it was expected to pour soon. What a dreary day—perfect for haunted house exploring. Not that Harry thought the house was haunted anymore, but it was fun to think that he had been kidnapped by a vampire and was being held prisoner against his will, but was still given free range of the home, kind of like that princess movie where a beast takes a young girl prisoner in his castle of enchanted objects and furniture.

Harry wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it, but he reached for the knob of the front door, wanting to glance outside the spooky house he was in.

Except the knob would not turn.

Harry hesitated, then tried again.

The door was locked.

Panic settled in quickly as he yanked against the knob, trying hard to open the door before he decided to try the windows, but the few that did have a latch to open did not budge. He scanned the rooms for another exit, and finding a back room down the hall, he discovered a door that led to the backyard, but that one did not open either.

He was trapped inside the house. He really was a prisoner.

Yet, while Harry did not like being locked inside the house, he was not entirely alarmed by it. He had a feeling deep down that he should be freaking out and probably calling the police right now, not that he saw a phone anywhere anyway, but after a few deep breaths, he was not too frightened. After all, Severus had said he was running errands, so he probably planned on being back soon and would free Harry from this imprisonment. The man had been very kind to him so far, giving him a warm place to sleep and a warm breakfast and even a cat, Harry convinced himself that he was in no danger. And maybe the doors were all locked because Harry was alone. Yeah, that could explain it. It was for Harry’s own protection, though why they were locked from the inside was still a mystery, but everything would be fine, he was sure.

Maybe he should distract himself by looking around some more.

Harry climbed up the staircase once more, his hand gliding against the smooth wood of the railing. Boomslang and Belladonna followed him up, eager to see what the new houseguest was up to. Harry recalled the middle room being where Severus had exited from with a cauldron last night, and he wanted to get a good look at what was behind the door where the man made his potions.

Harry slowly pushed the door open and peeked inside.

There were two long tables side by side with three bubbling cauldrons on each one, small blue fires under each cauldron that hovered just slightly above the flames. Each cauldron was a different color, and even the smoke had a tint of hue to it as it wafted through the air. Behind the table were shelves and shelves of strange herbs, plants, stones, and even what Harry could only assume were body parts of various creatures (hopefully nonhuman), all stored in vials, glass jars, or small bags. In one corner of the room appeared to be a utility sink with an attached cupboard. A door on the cupboard was ajar, and Harry could see more cauldrons were stored underneath. Across from the utility sink was another door that was slightly ajar, but Harry couldn’t see what was inside the closet from where he stood.

His curiosity trumped his fear of being caught somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be, and he pushed the door open further and stepped into the room, inching closer to the cauldrons. He pushed up on his tippy toes and peered into one of the boiling potions, watching in awe as reds, blues, and purples swirled within the potion, blending in unique patterns that entranced Harry, and he felt he could watch the potion all day as it bubbled away.

Glass breaking was always an awful sound to hear, and Harry jumped at the noise, turning in the direction it came from.

Boomslang was sitting on the shelves along the wall where all the potion ingredients were, and one of the glass containers was shattered on the ground below, and what looked like small eyeballs were rolling all over the floor.

Harry gasped.

“No!” he shouted, running over to the shelves. “Bad cat! Get down.”

Boomslang walked along the shelf, weaving between jars and bottles of more gross looking objects, and Harry’s heart was thundering in his chest as he followed Boomslang and pleaded with the cat to get off the shelf. He could only imagine what Severus’s reaction would be to finding his things broken. Boomslang paused at the end of the shelf and sat down next to a small jar that had some strange intestine-like substance floating in liquid.

Harry reached for the cat, but the shelf was just out of his reach.

Boomslang tapped the jar with a paw.

“No!” Harry scolded, pointing a finger at Boomslang.

Boomslang stared down at Harry, then tapped the jar again, nudging it closer to the edge.

“Don’t you do it,” Harry threatened in a low tone.

Another nudge toward the edge.

“Stop it! Bad cat! I’m warning you, Boomslang.”

Boomslang set his paw down and tilted his head at Harry, leaving the jar haphazardly on the edge of the shelf. Harry reached up to push it back to a safer position, but his fingertips could not reach the jar.

Another meow caught his ear, and he turned to see Belladonna on one of the long tables, sniffing the middle cauldron.

Afraid she might drink whatever crazy concoction was boiling, Harry ran toward the table, planning to shoo the cat off it, but before he could touch the cat, Belladonna arched her back, flattened her ears, and hissed at Harry.

Harry stopped dead in his tracts, now wary of the cat as she growled at him.

“Please, get down,” Harry begged the cat, who merely flicked her tail at him.

Glass smashed to the ground behind him, and Harry turned to see that the jar was now shattered on the ground.

“Boomslang!” Harry cried in exasperation.

Boomslang looked mighty pleased with himself as he jumped up to a higher shelf and began examining the next jar he would like to drop. Harry looked around for something he could use to try and knock Boomslang off the shelf, but he did not see anything long enough in the room. Where on earth did Severus keep his cleaning supplies? A broom would be really helpful right now.

As Harry scanned the room, he turned in time to see Belladonna put her two front paws against the rim of a cauldron, and it leaned against her weight. Harry was sure Severus was using some kind of magic power to keep the cauldrons hovering above the fires, but whatever he had done, the magic did not like the added weight of a cat.

“No, don’t do that,” Harry said, bravely shooing his hands at the cat.

Belladonna hissed again and pushed off the cauldron to run away from Harry, but in doing so, she managed to tip the cauldron over completely, knocking it off the flame and spilling its contents everywhere. Harry jumped away just in time to avoid getting any of the mess on him, but he stared down dismayed as the potion turned a black color and fizzled away at the wood on the table like a toxic chemical, leaving a hole in the center of the table.

Meanwhile, Boomslang found a new jar to his liking, a small one with a sparkly, powdery substance inside, and he was batting it along the shelf playfully. On the other side of the room, Belladona had pushed open the ajar cupboard and was crawling between the clean cauldrons, knocking a couple out of the cupboard as she tried to squeeze herself between them.

“Boomslang, leave it alone,” Harry said desperately as he ran forward to catch the small jar before it could hit the floor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to catch it, but winced when he heard another jar fall from the shelf. He wasn’t sure what to do to get the cats to listen to him, but unfortunately, he did not have a chance to come up with any ideas.

“Get out!” Severus’s gruff voice demanded as the dark-cloaked man stormed into the room, a finger pointing out the door. “Both of you, out!”

Harry froze in his spot, unsure at first who Severus was talking to, but the two cats were quick to respond as they tucked tails and scurried out of the room, black blurs against the hard floor that disappeared into the house. Harry didn’t move, even as Severus turned dark eyes on him, and it took Harry a moment to realize his knees were shaking slightly. The cats had made a disaster of the room, and it was all his fault. The man was going to yank off all his fingernails and use them in a potion for sure now.

Severus slowly stepped over to Harry, who leaned back into the shelves behind him.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Harry quickly apologized. “I was just looking around and, and—.”

“The cats are not allowed in this room,” Severus interrupted as he paused directly in front of Harry. He took the small container Harry was still holding and placed it on a higher shelf. He then pinned Harry with a small glare. “You are not allowed in this room . . . not without my presence.”

Harry nodded in understanding, then, at Severus’s narrowed eyes, said, “Yes, sir.”

Severus pinned Harry with a look a moment longer before he stepped back, pulling a stick out of his sleeve again. Harry watched him warily, still unsure if the stick could be used for whippings before he pushed off the shelves and followed Severus. The man certainly wore weird clothes, Harry thought as he studied the black robes.

“I’m sorry about what the cats did,” Harry said. “I can help you clean.”

“Don’t be, they’ve certainly done worse,” Severus muttered as he waved the stick around. Harry’s eyes widened as the broken glass and spilled ingredients vanished and the table seemed to regrow and fill in the hole the spilled potion had left. The empty cauldron flew over to the sink and began cleaning itself, sponges and soap attacking it vigorously. Well, clearly Severus didn’t need any assistance with cleaning up. That also explained the lack of cleaning supplies.

“That’s amazing,” Harry said. “Sir, what is that?”

Harry pointed at the stick the man was holding, and Severus quirked a brow at Harry.

“Your family really has told you nothing?” he questioned, and Harry frowned in response. Severus sighed before he said, “This is my wand. It allows me to direct my magic with ease, as you will soon learn when you get yours.”

“I get a wand? When?”

“When you are eleven,” Severus said before he motioned for Harry to leave the lab.

“That’s next summer,” Harry said, excitement filling him. “I’ll be able to control my magic powers better then?”

“Magic powers,” Severus muttered, quirking a brow at Harry. “What has your family told you about who and what you are?”

“Nothing, sir. Just that my parents died in a car crash and that I’m a bit of a fr—” Harry cut himself off quickly, remembering that he was discovering that there were other people like him, and he was not sure they would take kindly to being called “freaks,” no matter how used to the word Harry had become.

“I see,” Severus said, and Harry wondered if Severus knew what word Harry had nearly said. Severus led the way downstairs, and Harry remembered the locked doors and he glared accusingly at Severus.

“You locked all the doors and windows,” Harry said.

“Indeed,” was Severus’s only answer as the man continued toward the kitchen, ignoring Harry’s look completely.

“Well . . . why?” Harry asked.

“So a certain little miscreant didn’t enact on the idea of walking home to his relatives.”

“Oh,” Harry said. “I wouldn’t have, you know.”

“Is that why you tested every door and window you could find?”

“How do you know—I didn’t test anything, I was just . . .”

“Eloquent,” Severus remarked dryly as he summoned ingredients for tea, starting a kettle on the stove. Harry watched as utensils flew around the kitchen, cream and sugar hopped out of the fridge and onto a tray which landed neatly on the dining table. Harry was mesmerized by all the magic around him, finding each action the man did fascinating, until Severus looked down and flicked a wrist at Harry.

Harry jumped back as he felt a strange sensation wash over him, and when he blinked, his clothes had been replaced by a light green jumper that fit snugly and black trousers that weren’t falling down his hips. He glanced over his shoulder to see his previous clothes were neatly folded on the kitchen counter.

“How did you?” Harry asked, looking down at himself and back at his old clothes.

“Same answer as before,” Severus said, “magic. Take those old clothes upstairs to the first room on the right and put them in the wardrobe. Or if you’d prefer, put them in the fireplace.”

Harry hesitated, a frown on his face as he thought about what the man had said, then he carefully picked up his clothes and took them upstairs. He followed what Severus had said, walking down to the very end of the hall, past the lab door, and to where there were three more doors. He remembered which door to go to, but he couldn’t help glancing at the other rooms. One door turned out to be a small closet, and to his surprise, it did contain a few cleaning supplies. The room next to the one he had been told to go to was a full bathroom, but unlike the rest of the house, the bathroom was very outdated.

Finally, Harry opened the door to discover a bedroom. It was a moderate-sized one, with a full bed in blue sheets. There was a small desk table with a chair off to the side of the bed, a wardrobe across from the bed, and a tall mirror on the wall next to the wardrobe. Harry walked up to the wardrobe and opened a random middle drawer, then froze.

Inside the drawer, were several folded trousers, all about his size.

Harry opened another drawer to find more jumpers and plain tees, and then another drawer revealed undergarments and thick, fuzzy socks. Harry frowned, studying the items, then glancing around the room for more information to fill in the dots, but there were no picture frames anywhere. Surely Severus had a son or a nephew that stayed over now and then? Where else would all these things have come from? Was he just borrowing some drawer space for now? That must be it.

Harry pushed aside a few of the nice trousers and set his clothes in the empty space he created. There. That felt less intrusive in case any relatives of Severus’s stopped by.

Harry turned around to look over the room again. It was very plain and simple, as if it had remained empty for a long time. Boomslang trotted into the room a few seconds later, his tail up and loud purrs emitting from his small body as he jumped up on the bed and rolled around on the soft blankets. Harry snorted and stroked the cat.

“I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble,” Harry said. “But you would have deserved it, you know.”

Boomslang only purred with a nonguilty look on his face.

Harry smiled at the cat then stepped out of the room. Now that he knew what the other rooms were, that left the very first room from the staircase, which could only be Severus’s room. Even though he could deduce what room must be left, he still couldn’t resist the urge to peek inside, and he glanced over the rail to see if Severus was around before he approached the closed room, Boomslang at his heel. He slowly reached for the handle, telling himself he would just take a quick peek inside then head back downstairs.

Just as he turned the knob, an unseen force yanked him away from the door, then he was flying down the stairway before he was deposited in front of Severus at the end of the staircase. Severus gave him a stern look.

“That room is also off limits,” Severus said. “I’m sure we’d both like to avoid a repeat of the lab, wouldn’t we?”

“Yes, sir. Sorry.” Harry wasn’t sure how to feel about being so easily maneuvered through the house. For a moment, he imagined what it must be like to live with magical people, and how amazing and frightening it would be at the same time.

Boomslang trotted down the stairs after Harry, only to be batted a few times by Belladonna, who was sitting next to her owner with a disapproving look of her own.

Severus studied Harry a moment longer, and Harry grew uncomfortable with the intense stare, but before he could ask what the man was thinking about, Severus turned away, and Harry took a minute to follow after him.

“Sir?” Harry asked, remembering something that he had been wanting to ask since last night.

“What is it?” Severus responded as he gestured for Harry to sit at the table while he poured a couple cups of tea.

“Did you know my parents?”

Severus set a cup of tea in front of Harry, along with the milk kettle and sugar bowl, then he sat at the head of the table with a plain cup of black tea, taking a long sip while watching Harry. Unsure if Severus was waiting for Harry to prepare his tea before answering, Harry set to work adding a couple spoonfuls of sugar and a splash of milk before taking a small sip of the tea, smacking his lips at the taste. He had never actually had tea before, and he felt he may have sweetened it too much or perhaps the milk was a bad choice, and he should have drank it plain as Severus was doing.

“Never had tea before, have you?” Severus asked.

Harry shook his head, but sipped the tea again, despite his obvious dislike. He didn’t want to seem rude by wasting the tea after Severus had gone through the trouble of making it for him. Suddenly, the tea in his cup evaporated away and refilled itself halfway with fresh black tea. Severus picked up the milk kettle and filled the rest of the cup with milk, then added a half spoonful of sugar before sitting back in his seat.

Stirring briefly, Harry picked up the cup and sipped the tea, already wincing as he prepared for the taste. Instead, he was met with a creamier, slightly sweet version of the tea he had previously butchered. While it wasn’t his new favorite thing, it was tolerable, and he could drink the tea without grimacing at the taste.

“That’s better, sir, thank you,” Harry said softly.

“Figures,” Severus muttered. “Your mother liked her tea that way.”

“She did?”

“We were very close friends. I was about your age when I met her, right before we went to school.”

“Was she nice? What did she look like?”

“Lily was the kindest person I knew, with a very forgiving and tolerant heart. She was very beautiful, had long red hair, and your eyes.”

With that in mind, Harry pictured what his mother, Lily, could have looked like. What a beautiful name for his mother. He was glad to know that he had something from his mother, even if it was just her eyes.

“What about my dad. Were you friends with him too?”

“Absolutely not,” Severus’s eyes darkened. “Your father was nothing but a spoilt, arrogant, and cruel bully.”

“Oh,” Harry said, his eyes drifting down as he stared into the light-colored tea in his cup. Well, at least that fit with everything else Aunt Petunia had said about his parents.

Severus was quiet for a moment, narrowing his eyes at Harry as if expecting an argument, but then the man sighed heavily and looked away for a moment. When he looked back at Harry, he said, “That’s not to say that James Potter did not . . . mature and grow into a more decent person. After all, he did marry Lily, the kindest woman I knew.”

“Right,” Harry agreed, trying hard to push his disappointment down. Surely his father couldn’t have been all awful if he managed to marry such a kind and beautiful person. And Severus said that James had to mature so maybe he was a better man than a teen? Harry recalled how Severus said he looked just like his father, and while it had been nice to know in the moment, now, he didn’t know if he wanted to look like someone who had been a bully. Wait . . .

“Did he bully you, sir?” Harry blurted out. When Severus’s eyes darkened even more, Harry regretted asking and he shook his head and looked down at his tea. “Never mind, sir, I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.”

Severus was silent for a moment, and Harry was nearly shaking in his seat as he waited for Severus to say something, hopefully accepting his apology, and moving off the subject. How could he be so stupid and insensitive to ask a question like that? After all the nice things the man had done for him so far and he just had to open his big mouth.

“He did,” Severus finally admitted. “But we should let bygones be bygones, shouldn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. Whatever that means. Whatever kept the man happy, please let the bygones be bygones.

Harry sipped his tea for a moment, allowing silence to hang in the air before another question begged to be asked.

“You said you went to school with . . . my mum. What school did you go to?”

“Hogwarts.”

“What kind of school is that?”

“You don’t know about Hogwarts?”

Harry shook his head, then waited patiently as Severus studied him again with narrowed eyes.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a boarding school where young witches and wizards go to learn about their magic and how to control it starting at the age of eleven. Any magical resident of Great Britain or Ireland is automatically accepted and receive an acceptance letter on their eleventh birthday.”

“Wow.” Harry smiled. “So, I’ll go to Hogwarts.”

“If you want to. That’ll be your choice.” Severus hesitated, then added, “Of course, boarding schools are very expensive.”

“Really? Oh.” Harry felt his hope deflate in his chest. There went his chance at going to an amazing magical school. The Dursleys would never pay for him to go to a place like that and how on earth could he afford to go? It wasn’t like he could get a job somewhere to pay it off. Maybe, if he asked the headmaster really nicely, he might be able to work out a deal. Did magical schools have headmasters? There had to be someone in charge for him to talk to. Maybe he was better off sticking to normal people’s school.

“That’s not a problem, is it?” Severus asked.

“Well, it’s not like I have any money or anything and Aunt Petunia would never pay for me to go to a fre—I mean, a school like that. It was a nice thought though.”

“Hmm.” Severus drummed his fingers on the table next to his teacup. “I could teach you. Only if you would like, of course.”

“You would really?” Harry’s eyes lit up at the thought of being taught how to control his magic. “Is that allowed?”

“Of course, it’s allowed. Homeschooling is one of many options for young wizards learning their magic. You would still need to sit for the exams in your sixth and seventh year of schooling, which would be arranged with the Education Department, but otherwise, there is no reason I couldn’t homeschool you.”

“That would be amazing, sir. But, how would I repay you?”

“Hmm, excellent question.” Severus sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin as if it was a difficult thing to consider before just as quickly, he said, “I know, you could assist me with my research.”

“Research?”

“You know, assist me in my lab with new formulas, trial new potions, study various potion ingredients around the world, and of course, travel with me to conventions to discuss new discoveries.”

“That sounds like the best job ever! If I do that, you’ll teach me everything I need to know?”

“I’ll have you more prepared for the wizarding world than the wizarding world will be ready for.”

Harry had no clue what that was supposed to mean, but Harry didn’t care in the slightest. A free education and a new job as practically Severus’s apprentice? What more could a young boy ask for? This was turning into the best day of his life. Thank goodness, Aunt Petunia had left him to find this amazing new life. Wait, would he be allowed to stay here, or would he have to go home and come back on schedule?

“Sir, should I . . . tell Aunt Petunia about this or . . .”

“As I’ve said before, your aunt’s opinion hardly matters here. She abandoned you, and so far, is still not looking for you, nor has she reported you missing.”

“Really? Still?” Harry wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Sure, he knew that the Dursleys never really considered him family, but to think that Aunt Petunia did not even seem concerned about the safety of her nephew disheartened Harry. Would she ever bother to look for him? If this had been an emergency, wouldn’t this be considered too late?

“I cannot pretend to understand how it feels to be abandoned by your only family,” Severus said. “I do know how it feels to be unwanted, and I can promise you this, Harry, if you choose to stay, you will never be unwanted here.”

Harry’s lower lip trembled as his eyes watered, and he nodded his head in response. That touched a little too close to home, but Harry could see it in the man’s eyes, something he was very familiar with: the fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fear of being unloved forever. And while Severus may never admit it outwardly, it was that look in Severus’s eyes that convinced Harry that the man’s words were honest and true, and he nodded his head again.

“I’d like to stay here then, please, sir.”

“I figured you’d say yes,” Severus said, a smile pulling at his lips.

It turned out, the errands Severus had been running were all for Harry, buying him a new wardrobe of clothes, new bed sheets for the old guest room, and even books to begin his schooling. Harry loved everything and wished he knew how to thank Severus properly. The rest of the day was spent exploring the house and getting to know Severus more, especially his field of work that resulted in him traveling away often, leaving the house empty, dark, and spooky. It explained the lack of care in the front and back yards, along with the aging exterior. His constant absence meant the house was often open to trespassers, and Severus used the old, spooky look of the house, along with some well-placed charms, to keep trespassers away.

“What about Boomslang and Belladonna?” Harry had asked.

“They come with me,” Severus answered. “Where I go, they go. Belladonna is a loyal familiar, never leaves my side. Boomslang, on the other hand . . . well, he’s a good fit for you.”

Harry laughed at that as he played with Boomslang later that evening, leading a string around the living room for the cat to chase when the doorbell rang loudly through the house, startling Harry. He hadn’t even seen a doorbell outside and was surprised the house had one.

Then, through the curtains, he saw who was standing on the other side of the door.

Aunt Petunia.

She was wearing a warm grey jacket, and her arms were crossed over her chest as she waited for someone to answer the door, her lips thinned and her eyes squinting at the front door. Harry took a few steps back, then froze when Severus brushed past him, sparing him a look before opening the door.  

“Good evening, Petunia,” Severus greeted coldly.

“I should have known it was you who lived in this wasteland,” Petunia said. “Where is he?”

“My, look at the time,” Severus said, glancing at his watch, “nearly twenty-four hours from the time you left him abandoned in an unknown neighborhood, on Halloween nonetheless.”

“We didn’t abandon him,” Petunia argued. “He took off. Serves him right spending the night in a creepy, rundown place like this. I’m sure he’s more than ready to go home, now.”

“Oh, I’m sure that will fly by well with the police.”

“You wouldn’t dare call the police.” Petunia glared at Severus. “Over what? It wasn’t like I didn’t know where he was.”

“Ah, but you had no clue who lived here. What a way to put his life up to chance, Petunia. Truly, I thought you had more human decency than that.”

“What do you want Snape?” Petunia demanded. “Where is Harry?”

“Oh, he’s right here.” Severus leaned against the doorframe and motioned to Harry still standing frozen in the middle of the living room. Petunia’s glare deepened and Harry swallowed dryly, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Severus had promised Harry that he would never have to go back to the Dursleys, but could the man really stop the Dursleys from taking him back? They were his legal guardians and Severus was still a stranger he had only known for a day. Not that that bothered Harry. He was more than willing to stay with the stranger than go back to the Dursleys.

“Boy,” Petunia called to him. She motioned him to come to her. “Get over here.”

Harry swallowed again, glanced at Severus, then back at Petunia. He shook his head and took a step back.

“Pity,” Severus tsked with a smirk, “it seems Harry doesn’t wish to go home just yet.”

“Boy, I don’t have time for your games,” Petunia snapped, taking a step forward.

Severus quickly put an arm up on the other frame and glared at Petunia, stopping her dead in her tracks.

“I did not give you permission to enter my property,” Severus said.

“My nephew is in your house,” Petunia growled. “Don’t make me call the police on you, Snape.”

“Go ahead. And I’ll tell them the whole story of how I found this little boy sobbing in my living room, terrified because his only living family abandoned him in an unknown town, far from home, on one of the scariest nights of the year. Whose story do you think they will believe? What do you think Harry will tell them, hmm?”

Petunia’s glares hardened and she met Severus’s hard look for a long moment. She huffed and brushed some hair out of her face and stared off in the distance.

“Dumbledore placed Harry in my care for his protection, you know,” Petunia said. “He’s not safe here.”

Harry frowned at that. This was the first he was hearing about a “Dumbledore,” and even Severus seemed to recognize the name.

“Dumbledore has certainly made grave errors in the past,” Severus said.

“You can’t keep him, Snape; he’s not some lost stray you can just start feeding and housing. What would the wizarding world think if they found out you took their hero?” Petunia said “hero” with a lot of bite in her voice.

Harry was surprised at how much Petunia knew of the magical world, and he felt a sense of betrayal crush against his heart. So Petunia had been lying to him his whole life. She knew why he was so freaky and different, and she never told him the truth. He felt more confident in his decision to stay with Severus now, at least the man had been honest with him about everything so far, even about his father. He felt his trust in Severus grow in that moment as he felt his eyes tear up watching Petunia.

Severus only smirked at Petunia’s question.

“I can’t wait to find out,” Severus answered.

Petunia huffed and shook her head.

“I don’t know what your agenda is, Snape, but fine. Keep him. At least he’s not placing my family in danger anymore.” Petunia looked over Severus’s shoulder and directly at Harry. “Good riddance, boy.”  

Harry felt a few tears escape his eyes, but he refused to let Petunia see her words affect him, so he stood his ground anyway. Boomslang purred as he rubbed against Harry’s leg soothingly, standing up on two to rub his head against Harry’s hand.

Severus stepped forward, forcing Petunia to back up a step and she nearly stumbled down the first step of the rickety porch. She caught herself and continued to glare at Severus.

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into,” Petunia said.

“I’ll send you the necessary paperwork to sign away your guardianship rights to me,” Severus said plainly.

“Fine. It better not be with an owl.”

Harry thought that was the strangest thing he had ever heard his aunt say, but Severus appeared amused by that, and smirked.

“How else should I send it?” Severus questioned. “Good night and good riddance, Petunia.”

With that, Severus slammed his door shut, leaving an aghast Petunia hovering outside before she stormed away, leaving in her car.

Severus paused as he saw Harry, tears still leaking down his face, his small fists clenched at his side as he tried not to sob, his face red from the effort. Severus sighed, stepping closer to Harry. He reached out a hand, hesitated, then placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“It is okay to feel sad,” Severus said. “You did not deserve to hear those words.”

Harry closed his eyes, more tears escaping.

Severus tightened his grip on Harry’s shoulder, and Harry could sense Severus’s unease with his emotions, yet Harry couldn’t stop himself from rushing forward and hugging the stranger who did more for him than the Dursleys ever did. Severus tensed at first, then brought an arm around Harry, patting his back in an untimely rhythm.

Harry would take it. He squeezed Severus tightly, wanting to show how much he appreciated the man for everything he had done in the last twenty-four hours. After a moment, Harry relaxed and released Severus, rubbing his eyes and looking up at the man.

“You know,” Severus began quickly changing the subject, “I have to meet with a fellow researcher tomorrow in Italy. It would be a three day stay as I have to hunt down and harvest a particular plant for a new potion project, but there will be time for exploring as well. Besides, I hear Tuscany is stunning this time of year.”

“And Boomslang will go, too?” Harry asked in a quiet voice.

“Of course. As will Belladonna. But you better keep a close eye on Boomslang. He’s known for trouble.”

“I will, I promise,” Harry said with a small smile as he wiped away the last of his tears.

August 1st, 1991

Harry gathered put together all the tea items on the tray and carried it out to the living room, where Albus Dumbledore was seated on the sofa, admiring the room. He set the tea tray on the coffee table in the room, setting a cup closer to Albus and pouring the elder wizard a cup of tea.

“Thank you, Harry,” Albus said as he reached forward and fixed the tea how he liked it. Harry poured himself a cup as well, filling his halfway before adding in milk, then a half scoop of sugar before stirring it patiently while he waited for Albus to finish fixing his.

Belladonna hopped up on the sofa and froze, arching her back and growling at Albus.

“Belladonna, no,” Harry scolded, standing up and snatching the hissing cat up before tossing her down on the floor. She scurried out of the room. “Sorry, sir, she’s a one human only kind of cat. She still only tolerates me most of the time.”

“No trouble at all, Harry,” Albus said, smiling at the child. “So, tell me, when did you come to live here with Severus?”

“Aunt Petunia didn’t tell you anything?” Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at the headmaster as he sat down and picked up his cup of tea again. “She abandoned me here last Halloween.”

“She neglected to inform me of that,” Albus commented softly as he sipped his cup. “She said that you had willingly left her abode because you felt you deserved better than what her modest upbringing could offer.”

“That’s a load of bull,” Harry snapped, then covered his mouth, his eyes widening as he glanced around the house. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. Don’t tell Severus.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Albus winked at Harry. “So, Harry, what brings me down here is your Hogwarts acceptance letter. You signed that you were continuing your education elsewhere?”

“Yes, sir. Severus is tutoring me and I’m assisting him with his research in between. It’s really fascinating and I don’t want to give that up to go to a boarding school for most of the year. Besides, I’m learning a lot with Severus. I’ve already almost completed magical theory in all my subjects that I would have learned in Year One based on the reading material requirements you’ve got listed.”

“That is very good, Harry,” Albus praised. “But Hogwarts offers more than an education. It is a life experience that should not be missed out on, and there are so many friends you could make, friendships that would last a lifetime.”

“I understand, sir,” Harry said. “I read about the school in Hogwarts, A History. I would love to visit sometime, and Severus said there are lots of opportunities that might bring us up there sometime, even in our research as the Forbidden Forest has a lot of rare and valuable potions ingredients. I’m sure I’ll get my experience then, but nothing beats traveling the world with Severus. And I’m making friends all over the world. I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not going to Hogwarts.”

“I respect your decision, Harry. May I just ask: Severus hasn’t coerced you in any way to turn down your Hogwarts admission?”

“Of course not. He’s been nothing but honest with me. He told me that I could learn just as much under a tutor, and he’s giving me a free education and a place to live and experiences I’ll never forget.”

“Free education? Harry, you do realize your parents have a vault set aside for you with enough money to pay your way through school without making a dent in your inheritance?”

“I know,” Harry said with a soft smile. “Severus took me to Gringotts this summer when we went to get my wand. He gave me my key so I can start paying for my own “souvenir trinkets” as he calls them. I try to collect something from every place we visit. Look here.”

Harry jumped to his feet and pointed at several objects on the mantle above the fireplace.

“This snow globe I got from Paris; it has the Eiffle Tower in it. And this Murano glass I got from Venice, isn’t it pretty? Oh, and this is a figurine of Astruc Sacanera, a wizard from the fourteenth century who invented a long-lost potion that cured rabies! This is one of the potions Severus is still working on trying to recreate along with all the other fascinating things we do. He also created the missing Pedra Escurçonera, a black stone capable of healing all sickness. Severus wants to find the stone because he thinks it’s shavings could be used in so many healing potions, enhancing their capabilities.”  

“You are definitely learning a lot with Severus,” Albus said, admiring all of Harry’s trinkets.

“He’s a great teacher,” Harry said, then he lunged forward and caught the snow globe before it could hit the ground. “Boomslang! Get down!”

Harry put the snow globe back and picked up the black cat trying to knock down another souvenir. Harry returned to sitting across from Albus with Boomslang purring and making biscuits in Harry’s lap. Harry muttered, “I’ll have to tell Severus the sticking charms wore off again,” as he stroked the cat.

“I offered a teaching position to Severus several years ago,” Albus said. “I told him he would have made an excellent teacher. He turned me down though.”

“Yeah, he told me about that. He said he had other plans for his life than teaching a bunch of imbecilic kids. Besides, he also said you failed him.”

Albus’s eyes were saddened at those words, but Harry did not regret saying them. He wanted the headmaster to know this.

“He went to you for help, but you always failed to protect him. And then you failed to protect someone he loved, and that is when he lost all faith in you.”

“I’m afraid you do not know the whole story, my boy . . .” Albus began.

“No, I know it. Severus told me everything. He didn’t want me to find out from anyone else. But I still chose to stay with him, and I’m choosing again to stay with him. You failed me, too, you know.”

“How so, Harry?”

“You were made my magical guardian, but you left me with the Dursleys and didn’t check on me once! They weren’t nice to me. They locked me in a cupboard whenever they didn’t want to deal with me, which was also my bedroom, and they lied to me about what a freak I was. They didn’t want me, and the blood wards fell after Aunt Petunia signed me away to Severus. She was more than happy to be rid of me. She never wanted me.”

“Severus really has told you everything, hasn’t he? He seems to confide a lot in you.”

“I’m all he has now. You know, I think he was really lonely before I showed up in his house. It was just him and these two wackos.” Harry held up Boomslang pointedly. “He’s . . . he’s become like a father to me. I can’t leave him now.”

“Oh, Harry.” Albus sighed heavily. “I never meant for you to feel betrayed by me. I was doing what I thought was best for you, however, I see now that I was wrong to leave you alone in the care of your relatives for so long. You are right. I should have followed up and made sure you were loved in their care. I am happy that you have found someone who can give you the appropriate care and protection you will need. Severus is a formidable wizard and I’m sure he will turn you into quite a successful wizard as well. I see you’re already on your way there.”

“I’m happy here. I’m not leaving.”

“And there’s nothing I can say to convince you to attend Hogwarts?”

“No, sir.”

“I respect your decision. I wish you the best, Harry, and I hope we meet again someday. Perhaps you’ll even find time to visit Hogwarts soon.”

“Maybe, sir. Thank you for stopping by.”

“Give Severus my best for me, won’t you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harry waited for Albus to disappear from the floo, and then he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders briefly as the wards reenacted around the property, closing off the floo connection and preventing apparition to the building without a certain password. Harry smiled and ran for the front door, Boomslang following at his heel. Harry opened the door and stepped onto the porch, which was no longer rickety as Severus finally got around to fixing it after a postal man fell through one of the boards. The yard had also been cleaned up, and there was no more jungle surrounding the front of the house.

Harry walked down the porch over to where Severus was trimming up a large tree, standing on a ladder secured with stabilizing charms. It looked horrifying to Harry, but he was sure the neighbors were more freaked out.

“He’s gone, Severus,” Harry called up to the man.  

“About time,” Severus said as he stepped down the ladder before allowing it to fold itself up and store itself neatly next to the porch. “So, was I correct? What did he talk about?”

“He wanted me to attend Hogwarts and to really consider it before I made up my mind.”

“And you said?”

“No, obviously. He said to give you his best.”

“I don’t want them. Well, at least his visit is out of the way. We need to finish packing up for Heidelberg, we have a long week there and I will not miss a single speaker, nor my own presentation.”

“Oh, can I help with the demonstration?”

“As always.”

A loud hoot sounded above them, and a snowy owl flew down from the sky and circled their heads before offering a letter to Harry.

“Hi, Hedwig,” Harry greeted as he accepted the letter from his owl and opened it. “It’s from Julio in Peru! He found a new ingredient to use in our experimental potion for curing muki goblin bites. I can’t wait to read what observations he’s made.”

“You kids are always up to something,” Severus said, reaching for the letter, but Harry yanked it out of his reach. “You should let me read that sometime.”

“You just want to take all the credit for our research.”

“Perks of you being my apprentice,” Severus said. “Come, bring your cat and your owl and finish packing.”

“Aren’t you going to fix the gate?”

“Why? It only swings a little bit.”

“You just like it because it scares kids.”

“And gullible adults. Get inside before I steal your pen pal’s research right out of your hands.”

Harry ran ahead of Severus, leading Boomslang and Hedwig into the house where Belladonna had claimed her spot on the sofa once more, purring happily.

“What are we pretending to be this time?” Harry asked as he set his research on the table. “Master and apprentice? Or father and son?”

“I was thinking father and son,” Severus said, summoning a roll of parchment from his study. “But it wouldn’t be pretend.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

Severus unrolled the parchment on the table and revealed an adoption form.

“The Adoption Agency finally realized the sensitivity of adopting someone like you,” Severus explained, “and they have agreed to magical signatures on this parchment to legalize our adoption without all the fancy schmancy court shenanigans.”

Severus summoned a quill from his desk and signed his name on the parchment, then offered it to Harry, who only stared at him.

“Well?” Severus pushed, moving the quill closer to Harry.

“You want to adopt me?” Harry asked.

“You’ve been living here for a better part of the year pretending to be my son everywhere we go, we might as well make it official.”

“But . . . do you really want me as your son?”

Severus sighed.

“Your low self-worth really bothers me sometimes, Harry. Of course, I want you as my son. You know if I do not intend to do something, I will not do it.”

“Like meeting with Albus today?” Harry asked with a cheeky smile.

“Yes,” Severus smirked back. “Like meeting with Albus today. But you, I most certainly want you to sign this parchment and say that I am legally your parent. If that is what you want.”

Harry quickly took the quill and signed his name as best as he could. He had been practicing with the quill since he had come to live with Severus, and he was quite proud of how well his signature looked on the paper. Severus rested his hand on Harry’s shoulder, only for Harry to turn and squeeze him in a tight hug, which Severus returned fiercely.

“Shall Hedwig deliver the news?” Severus asked once Harry released him.

Harry nodded, and he rolled up the parchment and handed it to Hedwig.

“Here girl, take this to the Adoption Agency at the Ministry of Magic. Then meet us at Heidelberg.”

Hedwig cooed gently before taking flight and flying through a window that opened for her.

Harry watched her fly away until she disappeared into the clouds. He turned back to Severus, who was summoning their bags for their trip.

“You did pack everything this time, correct, Harry?” Severus questioned. “We won’t have to make any unnecessary shopping trips for pajamas or undergarments?”

“No, Dad,” Harry said, smiling as he said the name. And this time, Severus truly was his father. “I’m so glad I chose to stay with you. I wouldn’t give this up for anything.”

“Neither would I,” Severus agreed.