“We need to talk sir.”

Well isn’t that just lovely, here he was trying to move as quickly as he good to get back to his rooms and these people had to show up.

“Sir?” Ugh that voice grated on his last nerve. Why must unwanted people feel the need to grace me with their presence? It’s not as if I want to see them! Severus only scowled back at the annoying girl in response.

“What, Ms. Granger, do you want!?” Okay, he could have been a little less snappy with the girl seeing as she had been a friend of Harry’s but in his opinion they, meaning both Granger and Weasley, yes he was with her, deserved any friendliness.

The know-it-all of a girl lifted her chin at him before speaking haughtily. “We, sir, have come for two reasons,” A snort cut her off.

“Lovely, which would be what exactly?” He smirked at the girl’s outraged look at being cut-off but he didn’t care. It is not like I don’t have any ideas as to what the two brats want.

“We want to see Harry,” she quickly went on before he interrupted again which made Severus’ smirk that much wider, “and to see if there has been any cure produced for him yet.

“I see,” he paused just to annoy them further, “No.”

“No?” Ah the ever intelligible Weasley boy finally says something and here I thought something was wrong with the boy.

“No what!? No we cannot see Harry or no there has not been a cure made as of yet?” Hermione was furious! She wanted her answers and she wanted them now.

“Just no. Good day.” He made to shut the door in their faces but that insufferable boy got in the way.

“Why not?” Severus tried glaring him away. No such luck.

Ah, and Granger speaks again. “Please sir, may we see him. We miss him ever so much.”

“And why, Ms. Granger, should I let you see him?”

“We’re his friends!”

“Perhaps, but is her your friend?” This was such a waste of time. Harry and Draco were waiting on him and here he was wasting his time with these two.

“What do you mean? Of course he is our friend!” Weasley was starting to turn red, not such a nice color what with his hair and all.

“Such lies, Mr. Weasley, are not appreciated down here, I am after all, starting to teach right form wrong to a toddler. Your statement has some…flaws. Now is not the time to be talking about your flaws, however, as I am expected else where.”

“Wait! What to you mean flaws? There no flaws in what I said! We have been friends since first year! He’s my best mate!”

Well, I do suppose some entertainment might come out of this conversation. He stared at the boy before saying as darkly as her could, “ Just like he was your best mate when you and Ms. Granger ditched him for each other? Just like he was your best mate when you ignored him and his issues in favor of your own personal lives? Yes, Mr. Weasley, I can see he is your best mate!” This boy had some nerve! Never had Severus heard such a load of bollocks in his life, and he had heard plenty. “Now you will both leave! I hope you are both happy with yourselves, With your impertinence you have made me late on getting back with Harry! Some best mates you are.” This time not caring if the boy was in the way he slammed his door. He stared at it for a moment until he heard the voices of the two idiots outside his door fuming in outrage believing he was all wrong in his assessment. What idiots, not one thing he said was a lie but they were oblivious to it.

Shrugging Severus waited until he heard no more noise before leaving to go to his rooms.

Finally making it to his rooms, Severus walked through the door and seconds later he was grabbed tightly around the knees by a familiar toddler. Hefting Harry up on his hip he hugged the child. “Have you been good for Draco?” He got no response so he looked towards Draco.

“Of course! He was just upset that you weren’t here when he woke up. As if Harry would cause trouble.” He scoffed but gave a small smile towards the child.

“Just you wait Draco, when he becomes comfortable again it won’t be this easy. There is after all a reason they call this the terrible two’s.”

Draco shrugged before going to sit on the couch with his book. “Perhaps.”

With a knowing smile Severus turned his attention back to Harry. “We have some time before dinner, child, why don’t we play for a bit.” Settling onto the floor he sat Harry beside him. He reached forward pulling Harry’s stacking blocks toward them. As soon as he set them within reaching distance of the child Harry climbed right back into his lap. Instead of protesting Severus let him stay there hoping that he will soon be over his fears.

It wasn’t too much later that his floo went off alerting him to a call. Lifting Harry off his lap and back onto the floor he moved to the floo smiling when he heard rushed footsteps behind and felt the small jolt when Harry ran into him again. Making sure Harry was well away from the fire he answered the call.

“Ah, Severus, good afternoon. How are you all this evening?”

“Just fine Albus. What can I do for you?” he had to wait a good minute before the Headmaster came out of his thoughts.

“Hmm? Oh yes, terribly sorry but I have been informed by Minister Fudge, really a rather irritable man, that he is awaiting for some news on Harry’s potion.”

“Albus, you know as well as I do that I have not even the time to start in on it.”

“Yes, Severus, but I am afraid that he threatening to over rule the Wizengamot’s ruling on your guardianship if you do not do something. It seems he has found a clause that would allow him to do so. I myself must admit that I am quite anxious to see Harry back to his normal self. Not good times to be young I am afraid.”

Throughout the Headmasters long tirade Severus’ scowl got darker and darker with each passing word. “Albus I haven’t the time nor the want to make the blasted potion. The boy is happy Albus! Just leave him be.”

Severus watched as the old Headmasters eyes darkened. “Severus there is a war going on and the world needs Harry! Not Harry the toddler but Harry the man, without him all is lost.”

Forget the scowling Severus was downright growling. “Do you hear yourself Albus? All you care about it this damn war! You care about the rest of the world but not about the boy, yes boy not man! That has been affected by all of this war that he never asked to be part of!”

“Severus you and I both know that none of us asked for al this. It is what must be done.”

“Damn straight I know that! I also know that to put the weight of our world on young boys’ shoulders is not the way to win it! He will collapse Albus! He already has!” Severus shifted his weight so that Harry could rest on his lap instead of leaning on him uncomfortably from the side.

“What are you talking about Severus? Harry has done no such thing in fact if anything he was becoming stronger by the day.”

“I am not talking magically breaking, Albus, I am talking mentally.” Sighing he stood up with Harry in his arms. “We have much to discuss Albus. Much information that I need to tell you. Come through if you will Albus, we can talk in my study.”

Without waiting for a reply Severus turned to Draco who was still sitting on the couch though no longer reading his book.

“You’re not going to tell him about Harry are you Uncle Sev?”

“I must Draco, he must be made to understand and this is the only way to make that happen.” He handed Harry to Draco against the child’s struggling. “Stay with draco Harry. I am only going into my study.” With that he turned to go to his study hearing the Headmaster come through and quickly follow him.

Once the two were settled into the study the Headmaster decided to start straight away. “What was the meaning of your words Severus?”

“Albus it was as I said. Harry Potter had broken down. He was harming himself badly Albus. He couldn’t take the pressure and the hurts of the people around him. He is a young boy not only just now as a toddler but at his actual age. He is not yet a man, he is a boy made to grow up too fast. He had no support left. His friends abandoned him in favor of eachother, his relatives hate him, and the rest of the wizarding world is looking to him to save them all! No one could take all that Albus, not even you.”

They sat in silence each mulling over what Severus had said.

Finally the Headmaster spoke up, “are you sure Severus?”

“I saw it myself as did Draco. The boy was losing it Albus so I gave him a way out.”

That got the Headmasters attention. “You got him a way out? Are you telling me that you deaged him on purpose Severus?”

“That is what I said I do believe, yes Albus. He did not deserve all that was piled on him. I know from the occlumancy lessons that he was not cared for at his relatives house. We were all lucky Voldemort never tried to attack the house head on. The wards would have never worked, he was never actually accepted into the house nor did he refer to it as home. So yes I de aged him with Draco’s help and now we have a happy toddler with some insecurity issues. I will not age him back to his real age Albus, he deserves to be happy.”

“I find it strange Severus that you would take it on yourself to do such a thing. You hate or I suppose strongly disliked the boy and now you want to keep him as your own? I find I am rather confused dear boy.”

Well at least the Headmaster wasn’t angry at the moment. “ I learned long ago Albus that the boy was not his father. I do not hate him Albus as I am sure you can now tell. Just leave him be.”

“I do understand Severus, as much as I dislike what has been done, however, Fudge is expecting results.”

“There is no cure Albus. What was done to Harry’s potion was not a standard de-aging one, it was modified so that it was easy to undo. His system wwould not be able to handle a full aging potion at any rate, his body is now too small and young for his system to handle it. Since he was de-aged to a toddler he simply no longer has the capabilities to be returned to a teenager.”

“Severus I am highly displeased with this information. Do you know what you have done!? You have doomed the…”

“Stop right now Albus! It is high time that the adults do the saving of their own damn world not leave it to some kid to do. I gave him a chance to start over and actually live even if it is in these dark times. I do not regret my decision and I never will. The best I can do for you Albus is perhaps make a light type of potion that will age him a couple years at most but I can do no better. That should appease the Minister no?”

“Severus, dear boy, while I admit I am still terribly angry,” here he waved and aged finger at Severus’ face, “I am very proud of your decisions. I was afraid that as the years went on you would remain a dour man but you have shown me that you can be a caring one and for that I am proud. Harry is very lucky to have someone like you to raise him. I do, however, suggest you start on that potion immediately if you wish to keep the boy even if I must watch the rascal while you do so.” The Headmaster left the room awaiting no response and left via the floo.

Severus sat there a moment with his head in his hands. There was no such potion to age only a few years, though he didn’t lie when he said the boy couldn’t take a full aging potion, but he didn’t get the chance that developing such a potion could take some time.

With a grunt he removed himself from his chair and went back out into the sitting room. Draco and Harry were playing with the stacking blocks with Harry glancing at his study door every few minutes. When Harry saw him emerge he smiled and an to him as seemed to be his custom. “All right there Harry?” He patted the boys head but kept him on the ground much to the child’s aggravation. “Come on then, it’s time for dinner.” He walked to the floo to call for the house elves to bring up some food while Draco got Harry settled in at the table.

They had a quiet dinner of steak and potatoes before retiring to the sitting area once again.

“I do hope, Draco, that you have finished your homework before you sit to read that book again.”

Draco grunted before throwing the book aside and hauling it school books onto the coffee table. “You just love to ruin my fun don’t you?”

Severus didn’t even bother to respond. He set some parchment with crayons next to Draco for Harry to color with. “I am going to be in my study for a few minutes, keep an eye on Harry. I have to start the research for that blasted potion.”

It had only been a half hour at most before Harry let out a whimper before he tipped over. His actions threw Draco into panic mode quickly yelling out for Severus to come quickly. Severus raced out of his study and to the table where Harry and Draco had been.

He found Harry on the ground convulsing and crying. Draco looked up to him asking what they should do but Severus had no answers. The scene was a familiar one, it was something that would happen when Harry was older; a vision. He knew there was nothing they could do for the moment but he didn’t like it.

He sent Draco into his lab with a list of potions to get for the boy while he settled himself nearby Harry to help and comfort him during his episode. Severus had never though that Harry would get visions while he was young but it just showed him how strong the connection still was between the boy and Voldemort. Thankfully it lasted only 10 minutes and he was able to administer the pain relief potion and cruciatus reliever. He still had to deal with a wailing toddler but he could handle that.

“What the hell was that?” Draco had never been so frightened in his life. One minute everything was quiet with Harry next to him drawing and him working on his History essay when he heard Harry.

Holding the boy to his chest and softly as he could he turn his attention to Draco. “That, Draco, was a vision. It had not occurred to me that he may still have one while in this form.”

“That was a vision?! I thought visions would just show him pictures of what was happening not cause him pain like that!”

“And it should Draco but his connection to the Dark Lord is strong. He feels whatever curse he uses though not as strongly but I fear it is just as bad since he is so young.” The child had finally succumbed into unconsciousness and was laying limply in his arms. “I think I am going to call it a night. You are more than welcome to stay here tonight.” He knew Draco would so he didn’t wait for a response from him before he moved towards Harry’s room to get him ready for bed.

He dressed and changed the toddler before moving to his own room. He gently laid the boy on his bed while getting himself ready for bed. Pulling the comforters back he placed Harry in the middle of the bed pulling the comforters up around him. Before he himself got in he went to make sure Draco was all right out on the couch.

Returning after getting Draco a pillow and blanket he slid in beside Harry before placing a spell around the bed to make sure that Harry would stay on it before placing his wand on the bedside table and cradling Harry close to himself. He desperately hoped the child would be fine in the morning and not have another vision any time soon, he didn’t think Harry could handle it, hell he didn’t think he nor Draco could handle it again!