Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts, closed the book he was reading with a frustrated sigh. The book, 'One Hundred and One Magical Creatures' by Maybell Rosecutter, didn't mention one word about the strange werecat that bit Potter. It was the 20th book he had read through looking for answers, as they all were. All being, himself, the Headmaster, and just about every other member of the Order, and so far there wasn't a single thing they've found. It had been three days since Potter's nails had fallen off and they discovered his abuse. How far that abuse went they didn't know...yet, the boy was being very closed mouth about it. Severus still couldn't believe how horribly wrong he'd been about Potter, who was pacing restlessly nearby from where Severus was sitting.

The youth's metamorphosis was progressing quickly, but not quickly enough for P...Harry. Harry, who over the course of the three days, has grown a tail and had his ears migrate to the top of his head, not to mention the other changes. Severus had to struggle to keep his face straight, as every time he looked at the boy, he felt a strong urge to laugh. That wouldn't help the boy's deterating temper any, so far the child has tried to claw (as he now had retractable claws), bite and slice everyone unlucky enough to push him. The only ones able to remain with him for any amount of time were the Headmaster, Black, Lupin, Madam Pomfrey and himself. Minerva had tried to remain with the boy, but apparently werecats and animagus cats do not get along well. Others have tried, but again the boy's temper was only getting more insane at every passing moment.

After watching the white fringed, scythed tailed, young man walking back and forth by the window, Severus picked up another book from his diminishing pile and opened it to continue with the search. He had to admit he felt bad for the boy, he might not have been fond of the brat before, but that didn't mean he wished for anything like this to happen. Severus was disturbed from his reading by the sound of a thunk and two crashes. Looking up, Severus sneered when he saw that Harry had sliced through the bottom footboard with his tail blade in a fit of temper. Waving his wand, Severus fix the bed and went back to reading. He looked up irritated when the sound of Harry's tail slicing the footboard rung out again.

Looking sourly at the boy, who was grinning devilishly at his previously unlike Professor, Severus fix the bed once more, adding a protection charm to it as well. Going back to reading, Severus smirked when he heard a thud and then a grunt. Looking up, he saw that the Gryffindor had tried to cut through the bed again only to have his tail get stuck. Harry glared at the Potions Master as he pulled furtively on his trapped tail, obviously waiting for Severus to help him out.

"Problem, Mr. Potter?" Severus said mildly, laughing inside at the look on the boy's face, it didn't take much these days to make him mad.

"I would have thought that obvious, my tail is stuck, could you get it out for me?"

"I see nothing wrong with your tail, you should stop telling lies. Oh, and five points from Gryffindor for cheek." Severus smirked darkly, as he watched Harry turn away from him angrily and sit on the bottom of the bed, his tail still stuck in the footboard.

"Oh, by the way Potter, since you're not doing anything. Now might be a good time to tell me what that show you put on three days ago was about?" Severus spoke silkily, putting aside his book and giving the snarky teenager his attention.

"I don't know what your talking about." Harry replied, dancing around his question. "Did you find anything out about the cat that bit me yet?"

"No, and don't try to change the subject, little Gryffindor, I've been in Slytherin to long to be fooled by such a tactic."

"I can't tell you, it's not important."

"Oh, I think you can and I think it is important."

"I can't and it's not important, because I've dealt with it this long, so it's not a big deal." Harry insisted, stubbornly refusing to even look at the Potions Master.

Sighing, Severus got up and sitting in front of Potter grabbed his shoulders, Harry wasn't able to stop the flinch that occurred. "This is a big deal, tell me Potter and I'll make sure that you'll never have to go back to those muggles again."

"Why do you care? What's in it for you?"

"Why Potter, you sound like a slytherin. Why I care...I care because I made a huge mistake judging you and I always fix my mistakes. What's in it for me...I can finally repay Lilly's kindness back, after all these years."

"My mother, what did she do for you? Did you know her very well?"

"Your mother was a good friend of mine and she helped me greatly during school. I wish I could say I knew her very well, but I was very arrogant in school and didn't try to...get to know her... I thought I needed no one. Lilly saw through that though and befriended me despite my behavior."

"Oh, well I guess that's cool and all, but I'm still not telling you anything because there is nothing to tell."

"Foolish boy, do you want to go back to those muggles!?"

"It doesn't matter what I want, the blood wards...."

"The blood wards are pointless if your relatives kill you."

"You're not the first person to try to help me, the last person failed and was transferred to a new school. What makes you think that you'll succeed?"

"Potter after five years have you ever known me to fail at getting what I want?"

"Yes...usually when it comes to me."

"Those times I did fail...yes...but this time I'm not out to get you. This time I only want to help you and I WILL not fail. So Potter, tell me what those muggles did to you."

"I...I can't...I ashamed!" Harry cried, trying to pull his tail out of the footboard and leave the room, but his was stuck firmly.

"Whatever are you ashamed of, it's not your fault that your 'family' is abusive."

"I'm the boy-who-lived, everyone is expecting me to be their savior, what kind of savior am I if I can't even defend myself from my muggle uncle."

"If they have problems with a child not being able to defend himself from his adult uncle than they're the ones with problems. Now no more delaying, tell me what they did to you."

Harry stalled for another few minutes, before he finally told Severus everything, from the forced starvation and getting locked into his room. All the way to the broken bones, bruises, scars, and attempted rapes (always prevented by Harry's wild magic). Severus listened and recorded everything away for later use in a pensieve, these muggles were going down. After Harry was done speaking, Severus freed his tail, gave him some water and a dreamless sleep potion, before getting him in bed and leaving to find the Headmaster. He found said Headmaster on his way to Harry's private room, after quietly telling him that he needed to speak with him privately and that Harry was asleep, Albus lead the way to his office. Once there Severus asked Albus for his pensieve and after he go it, Severus place his memories of the earlier conversation with Harry into it.

Severus paced, much the same as Harry did earlier, around the office while he waited for the Headmaster to watch the memories. He couldn't help but remember when Harry had invaded his own memories before, Severus still felt some anger towards Harry from that. Before he could dwell on it though, the Headmaster pulled himself away from the pensieve and sat wearily behind his desk.

"He can not return to the Dursley's, but the ministry will try everything in their power to make him go back, even going as far a saying the conversation you had with Harry was all a lie. We need to get the Dursleys to silently sign over their rights as Harry's guardians, but to who? Sirius would take him...but he still being hunted by the ministry. Remus is a werewolf and the Weasleys have far to many children. I'm sure they would love to adopt him, but that would place them in danger of Voldemort." Albus thought out loud before going completely silent, gazing into the distance, suddenly he looked at Severus and Severus knew what he was going to say even before he said it.

"Severus, you are the only one capable of adopting Harry and teaching him all he needs to know."

"But Albus what about my spying?"

"You will still spy, this adoption will be done secretly, with no one who doesn't need to know finding out, unless you refuse?"

"No, I won't refuse." Severus responded after several minutes deep in thought.

"Good, you'll go tonight to the Dursleys, now let' s get some details worked out." They spent the next hour and half working through everything that needed to be done.

~~The next morning~~

The Headmaster and Severus walked quickly to Harry's private room after Madam Pomfrey called them over the fire, she sounded frantic and told them to hurry as fast as they could. Severus had just woken up from a late night bullying the Dursleys into compliance and was dreading having to tell Harry. Once they got to the room, Madam Pomfrey stopped them from going in, flicking her wand in a circle, she quickly cast a silencing charm before turning to the others.

"I nearly lost a limb going in there, Headmaster, it seems Harry's metamorphosis is complete. I must say that seeing the cat that attacked Harry up close is rather disturbing."

"So Potter is now the cat, I'll have to get more blood samples as much as I hate to get near him as he is."

"Yes, we'll have to stun him and do the work quickly," Albus said. "I'll call Remus and Sirius for their help."

It wasn't long before Sirius and Remus was standing outside Harry's door talking with Albus.

"So Remus and I just go in there and stun Harry, and everyone is okay with this, I mean the boy's been abused. I highly doubt he going to respond well to getting fire at."

"Yes, I understand your concern but we must get that blood sample. Harry, I'm sure will forgive us...eventually. Now we've wasted enough time." Albus replied, gesturing towards the closed door.

Sighing, Sirius and Remus walked to the door with their wands drawn and pointed, opening it quickly on the count of three they stepped into the room and stopped. The room was empty, they looked everywhere...in the closet...under the bed...even out the window. Finally turning to the three outside the room, they shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads, clearly confused.

"Well?" Snape snapped, glaring at them.

"He's not in here anymore, we've looked everywhere, it's not like a giant cat can up and disappear like a mouse." Sirius snapped back, glaring back at his most hated rival, only for that glare to turn into a look of terror.

The five looked on in fascinated horror, as a cat the size of lion climbed down from where it was hanging on the ceiling. Its massive head turned and looked at Sirius and Remus, while its mouth opened in a silent snarl, nearly 12" long fangs gleaming silver in the dull light. Suddenly the creature, who was Harry, turned and ran towards the three outside the room, they instinctually jumped out of the way. Meanwhile, the huge cat kept going, running with all its might for the front doors. Before he could get there though, Hagrid who had just come in those very doors, wrestled him to the ground (ever see the crocodile hunter?). When the five caught up, they stunned the cat and stood around its body, discussing what to do next.

"Is it obvious, we take him back to his room, put a collar on his neck and chain him up, while at the same time take the blood samples I need." Severus pointed out mildly, looking down at the huge cat who was now legally his son.

Albus opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a sudden roaring echoing in through the front door, which were still opened. When the roar sounded, cat-Harry twitched as if responding. Severus quickly went to the doors and shut them, before turning back around and striding back to where the others gathered.

"I'd recognize the sound of that roar anywhere Headmaster, it's the same roar that sounded when Potter got away. The other were-cats must be trying to call out this one, we must get him back to his room." Severus said urgently, watching while Hagrid quickly but gently picked the huge cat up like it were the size of a kitten.

The others quietly followed the half-giant and Severus back to Harry's room and hoped to the gods he didn't wake before then.