Harry lay in his crib bawling. How could the mean scary man return him to his aunt and uncle… they were meaner and scarier by far. With his little fists balled up against his eyes and his head tilting downward while the tears flowed out made a pathetic looking scene. Snape had only walked into the kitchen to be sure everything was cleaned up and put away. In the whole five minutes he’d been gone, Potter hadn’t changed, he continued to sit there and cry.

"Hmph…" He snorted from the doorway. The boy removed his hands from his face and glanced over towards the Potions Master. "Ouuut!" he whined from his sitting place, "Pweeasse."

"Well, do you think you can calm down now, Potter?’ Snape asked harshly as he pulled out his wand.

Once the child had nodded his head he was lifted up into the air and set down on the floor. "Now…. We need to get you cleaned up." He knew Dumbledore would have his head if he’d just left the boy the way he was now, but yet he wondered, why was the child this way in the first place…

"Come. No amount a magic will do you any good…" With that said, Snape led Harry to the first floor bathroom.

"Lets get this over with…" He muttered aloud. He despised doing things the ‘muggle way’ but some things just called for it.

With a flick of his wand, Severus started to draw the bath water. All the while he stood in the doorway, allowing Harry free reign over the bathroom. "Undress." He stated in a dull tone. Harry glanced over his shoulder with a puzzled look.

"I said undress, do you not understand?" He was a little annoyed with the boy’s obvious lack of intelligence but tried to look past it seeing as he was young. "Take off your shirt and trousers, boy… shoes too." Harry had begun taking off his shirt as he was told, followed by shoes and pants. Now he stood there in a nappy and socks.

"Potter, I meant for you to take everything off, socks and…. Nappy too." He realized what this meant: the child was not potty trained. At this realizations Snape let out a not-so-happy ‘ugh’ sound.

Harry had pulled off both socks and was now attempting to rip off his nappy. Finally he managed to remove it and then simply dropped it to the ground. "Potter! That does not belong on the floor! It belongs in a garbage can." Snaped yelled looking disgusted.

"No! Just leave it, don’t touch it." He yelled once more as the boy had moved to pick it up. "Just get up there and use the toilet."

Upon hear ‘use the toilet’ Harry’s face dropped… His eyes watered up as he now looked as if his best friend just died. He remembered once before trying to use the potty, just like Dudley had and making a mess. Who would have thought peeing in the toilet could be so much work. Needless to say he had to clean it up and got into a lot of trouble over it.

"Nooo…" He whined softly shuffling his feet as he stood there in the nude.

"Don’t make me say it again, boy." Not really giving the child a chance to argue he walked forward and picked Harry up and placed him on the toilet.

"Nooo noooo!" He cried. He kicked and screamed as he was held down on the porcelain seat. 

"Stop- stop it, STOP!" Snape squatted down so as to be on eye level with the young child. Harry had quit kicking and screaming and now just sat there sniffling starting at the man before him. "Now tell me what’s got you all worked up… all this over a toilet?" Snape continued.

"N-no (sniff) No potty…Duddy only use potty, not ‘arry." He relaxed a bit and reached up to wipe at his now runny nose. "I no ‘loud to use da potty… I make mess and unco hit meh." He tried to explain.

"What??!" Snape asked in complete and utter disbelief. He could understand being upset over a mess, but to hit a 2-year-old child for not being able to use the toilet correctly. Obviously something was wrong at the place Harry had been staying…Maybe the ‘Golden Boy’ really wasn’t that well off, … or all that spoiled.

"Pot- Harry, its okay, I’m not going to hit you…. Just you the bloody toilet." Snape said trying to sound as calm and gentle as his voice could take on. He had decided to use the boy’s first name to help calm it down, though he still detested calling him by it.

After a sniffle or two Harry nodded his head and relaxed a bit more. With a little effort and a small amount of time the sound of peeing could be heard. Surprisingly, and to Harry’s delight, most of it had it into the toilet, and what didn’t was quickly removed with a cleaning spell and not even mentioned.

" ‘arry do good??" Harry questioned happily as he was lifted into the bathtub and sat down in the warm water.

"Yes, now be quiet and get cleaned." Snape stood and headed for the door.

"No!… no, no go… ‘tay wif meh." Harry pleaded placing a hand on the side of the tub and pushing himself into a standing position. " Sit…. Sit pwease." He said pointing to toilet, which was close to the tub.

"Hmph. Fine. Now sit!" He said sternly glaring at the boy.

As Snape walked over to the toilet and took his seat he couldn’t believe what had just happened. Had he giving in to the demands of a child, James Potter’s child at that. ‘Damn Severus you are getting soft…’ he thought to himself. But how could one not ‘get soft’ after seeing Harry in the shape he was in…

Finally Harry had quit playing around in the water (about the time the water was getting cold) and Snape pulled him out, using a drying spell and then with a towel wrapped around the child he carried him back into the kitchen area, out of the bathroom.

Harry took a tight hold of Snape’s robe collar, not wanting to be let down or dropped. He was taken to the stairwell and quickly up them into a random bedroom. "Alright, boy. Down." With that Harry was set down on the floor still donned in his bath towel.

Severus took a long black robe and shrunk it instantly. "Here…" He said holding it out to the boy. Just then he remembered the small detail of a nappy. "Damn it…" He had thrown the last one away, and now had nothing… maybe just maybe. He looked down at the towel and with a flick of his wand it instantly became a nappy. "There."

Harry looked very confused. He’d never really been around much magic, and luckily he was young enough it didn’t really startle him… it just confused him. "Do ‘gain!" he shouted happily, clapping his hand, "Do ‘gain."

"No. Now put it on."

Harry’s smile faded as he tried hard to get the nappy on. Finally Snape gave in and helped. He leaned down, until he was kneeling on the floor. Harry sat very still somewhat scared of the man yet again.

By the time Snape had gotten Harry dressed and his hair combed out (which took quite a bit of effort). It was nearly lunchtime. The two were down in the kitchen waiting on the house elf to bring in the food.

Harry was sitting quietly in his chair not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself. He was not use to sitting at a dining room table or any table for that matter; he always ate food (when he ate) in his little cupboard.

Once food was brought in Harry sat staring at his plate. Everything he could ever want was on it… but he was still unsure as to if he could eat any. "Mine?" He asked hesitantly. Snape glanced up at the boy with a puzzled, yet somewhat annoyed look. "Yes, boy, that is yours, now eat, what do you need an invitation?" Harry didn’t really understand but reached in and started eating.

"Potter!"

Harry looked up with a sad and startled expression.

"What are you? Some kind of animal! Use your fork!" Snape scolded loudly, shaking his fork lightly to demonstrate for the child.

Snape rolled his eyes as he watched Harry pick up the fork and fumble around trying to pick things up. He had to laugh inwardly when he glanced up from his food to see the child pick up a pea and stick it to the end of his fork and then lift the utensil to his mouth. He had to at least give him credit for trying, plus Harry wasn’t a picky eater at all. No, quite the opposite. He never once complained about the food and cleaned his plate without a word.