Snape continued his turn looking all around him; he twisted back and looked under the tail of his long frock coat, thinking the child might have hidden under his robes. No child there. He got down on one knee and looked to the right and then to the left, under the long house tables; no one in sight. He stood back up and looked quizzically at the head table, “Where did he go? He was right behind me; I could feel his hand on my robe!”
For the first time in many years, Albus Dumbledore was completely baffled and let it show on his aged face. “Who… Severus? There is no one with you, and I saw no one enter with you, holding onto your robe or otherwise.” The rest of the staff was looking equally confused, but also very amused at the panic on the face of the normally stoic potion’s master.
“A young boy, he’s about a stone and a half, well, a little more now since he’s been eating better, he’s about so high,” He bent over and indicated a height just above his knees, “Surely someone saw where he went?” Severus continued to look around the Great Hall in puzzlement. “He hasn’t let me out of his sight since he showed up! Nippy!”
The old elf appeared at his master’s call with a sharp pop, and bowed slightly, “Yes, Master Snape, how can Nippy help, sir?”
Snape knelt down on one knee and asked the elf, “Have you seen the child this afternoon? I need you to check back in my quarters and in my lab to see if he has managed to ‘pop’ himself back there. Check around here in the Great Hall first to see if you can sense where he went first, please.” Nippy nodded and carefully walked around the perimeter of the Great Hall, sniffing the air for magic as he went. He was walking down the front of the long staff table when he felt something grab him from under the table cloth. Young Master was trembling and near to collapsing in fright, so Nippy popped them back to Master Snape’s quarters to help Young Master calm down.
“Nippy, you have to help me. If the other’s see me they will make me go back. You must help me hide from them. I can’t go back!” Nippy and all the house elves knew how the child had been abused and neglected at wherever location he came from, and they were outraged at the treatment that the shy boy had been given. Nippy called for Ogden, the Hogwarts Head House Elf. Ogden popped into sight, and Nippy bowed to him.
“Young Master Snape will be sent back to awful people if anyone but Master Snape sees him. He orders me to help him hide, but I cannot do it without your help.”
Ogden raised his wrinkled hand, “We must protect Young Master, we will do all that we can. You return to Master Snape and inform him Young Master is eating in his quarters and you will watch him and put him down for a nap. Master Snape can eat and attend his meeting without Young Master. I will teach Young Master the house elf secrets so that no one may see or hear him without his permission. Go now, Nippy and tell your Master, that Young Master shall be kept safe.”
Nippy kissed the old elf’s hand in gratitude and popped out. Ogden looked at the scared boy and reassured him, “We will keep you safe, child. No one will take you away from Master Snape and the castle. But I must teach you two things to keep you safe, are you willing to learn from a house elf?”
The boy chewed at his bottom lip; but nodded solemnly at the creature, somehow knowing instinctively that the house elves could be trusted not to return him, and that they would keep him safe.
**********
Albus had managed to get Severus to walk up to his office to explain exactly what was going on. He told the younger man that they could do nothing until they knew the full story, and had heard back from Nippy. He reassured Severus that the other staff members were looking for the child, as well as the portraits and the castle’s ghost population as well. He had poured Severus a mug of hot tea, laced it with a calming potion, and then sat back, his elbows on his desk, fingers intertwined, and an expression of interest upon his face. “Now, child, tell me all about this young boy.” It was gently spoken, but it was a command never the less.
Severus took a deep swallow of his tea and began, “Three weeks ago, I was cleaning up after a failed experiment when I heard a loud crack and saw a flash of white light behind me. When I turned around, there was a baby sitting wrapped in an old filthy blanket on the floor behind me. He was bleeding from hundreds of small cuts so that I couldn’t even see his face under the blood and dirt. I could see his right arm was broken, and I thought his left leg was too, but I found out later he just had torn ligaments in his left knee and it was badly dislocated. I knelt down to pick him up but he flinched back, so I stopped and started talking to him. I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl at that point, he was too filthy and bloody. He finally allowed me to approach. I got a pain draft mixed with a sleeping potion into him and then healed his arm and leg, and then removed hundreds of tiny shards of glass from his face, scalp and body.”
“When I took him into the bathroom to get him cleaned up, I found him wearing a disgusting nappy that looked like it hadn’t been changed in days; his bottom and privates were ulcerated and bleeding. I’ve smelled torture chambers that made me gag less! It took three changes of bath water to get the filth off of him. I sent Nippy to Hogsmeade to fetch some clothing and nappies, also some soft bedding.”
“Nippy was watching him while I slept for a while. I had lined a big box with sheepskin to protect his skin, and he was on the floor right beside my bed. Apparently he woke up and saw Nippy, because he screamed. I know now he had never seen a house elf before, and when I made a chair taller the next morning to feed him he had never seen magic before. I don’t think he was ever fed much either, he still eats like it’s the most wonderful experience in the world. I’ve never seen a child savor and make each bite last as long as he does! I finally got him to trust me enough to tell me his name and he said, ‘Freak, my name is Freak’!”
Severus slumped, putting his head down in his hands as he regained his composure. He looked through the curtain of his black hair at his mentor to see him angry and upset. He lifted his head and continued, “I mean, Albus, who names their child Freak? What kind of a monster starves a child; leaves them bleeding and raw and then doesn’t heal a broken arm, for Merlin’s sake!”
He sighed and took several calming breaths, “Well, he’s been following me around for the last three weeks, he doesn’t talk much, but he reads very well, probably as well as a child of seven or eight. I found him struggling to understand my first year herbology text the first day, so I bought him some primary children’s books and have been teaching him math every night. He follows me everywhere and drinks up everything I say to him, but it’s mostly like I am talking to myself. I know he understands me but it’s like he’s afraid to make a noise or ask a question. I honestly don’t know how old he is but I suspect he’s much older than his size would indicate.”
Nippy popped in to the Headmaster’s office, and bowed to Severus, “Master Snape, sir, the child is eating in your quarters and then Nippy will put him down to sleep. He is safe and sound but still very frightened. Nippy will watch over him while Master has his meeting, sir.”
Severus leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes in relief, “Thank you Nippy. I will return later, but come and get me if he needs anything, please.” Nippy nodded and left once again.
Albus sat in silence for several minutes before opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out an immense book. He opened the thick parchment pages and began speaking, mostly to himself as he explained his idea to Severus, “He is obviously a magical child or he couldn’t have gotten to your quarters. I may be wrong but I believe” his voice hesitated as he stopped to read the page, “that this was an example of very strong wish magic. Most children wish for a toy or a favorite food as their first manifestation of magic, but I believe the child’s extreme condition and need forced his magic to manifest at a very young age and very powerfully to protect himself. I would assume you believe his condition and treatment to be long term and very abusive?” He continued to turn pages in the massive documents as he noted Severus’ nod of agreement. Those injuries, the child’s stature and the presence of ulcers as well as the boy’s extreme behavior all confirmed the long term nature of the abuse.
“Ah, here we go! You believe him to be older than two, but very small for his age, not from a magical family and so probably a muggle born child since he had never seen magic. Well, we have nine muggle born children that are between two and three, and another six between the ages of three and four. My registry book is broken up by year starting, so it lists all the children that will be eleven on September the 1st together.”
He turned another page, “And seven that are between four and five. Hm, that makes a total of twenty-two children the right age, he is definitely a boy, so that leaves … just ten possibilities among the muggle born. I can send out Minerva and Hestia Jones as their cat animagus forms are very good for discrete observations. If they each check five of the names, we should soon find the one that is missing fairly easily. If that is all right with you, Severus?”
Severus was speechless, he hadn’t even thought of checking the magical registry of children that would be eligible to attend Hogwarts. He stopped himself from actually stuttering as he acquiesced, “Certainly Albus, I will be pleased to know his actual name, plus we can bring charges of abuse against his parents. I would like to file for custody of the boy if at all possible, sir.”
“Good, good, I suspected that you might, my child. Now, let’s gather everyone so we can begin our meeting and then get Minerva and Hestia off and checking for a missing boy.” He clapped the younger wizard on the back and led him out the door heading back for their interrupted meeting.
**********Back in his quarters, the boy in question was listening to Ogden the head house elf of Hogwarts. “Young Master, this knowledge is not to be shared, not even with Master Snape.” He waited for the boy to nod his understanding, “House elves can make themselves invisible and silent so that they can better serve their masters. I can give you the knowledge of how to do this because you are so young and your magic is so strong. I can also show you how an elf can pass through the anti apparition wards around any building, we pop, we do not apperate so we are not blocked. Now you need to lie down on your bed and I will need to touch young master’s head to give him the knowledge.”
The child nodded again and went to the bedroom where he snuggled down into the wooly comfort of his sheepskin lined box. He shut his eyes and waited for the feather light touch of the ancient elf. The grizzled old fingers touched his temple lightly on each side of his head. The boy heard a soft buzzing in his head and then, just like magic, he knew how to make himself invisible and totally silent. It took only another minute to transfer the secret to the elves ability to ‘pop’ regardless of the warding in place. He opened his eyes to look at Ogden and saw understanding and compassion in the creature’s wrinkled face. The boy reached up and hugged him thankfully and with deep gratitude. “Thank you, Ogden. Now they won’t see me and I can stay, thank you.” The boy’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears of gratitude and relief as he lay back into his bed and fell asleep, the worry and fear having exhausted him.
Ogden brushed the boy’s hair off of his forehead and looked at the two bright red scabs that covered the famous scar. The elf thought for a moment and then ran a long finger across the boy’s forehead, healing the wounds but leaving a wide puckered scar; that just managed to completely hide the older, faded scar underneath. “Now, you are safe child, now you are safe.” He sat down and waited for Nippy to return, planning how the elves could help this child, the savior of the light to heal, and stay safe from the evil that threatened him; both wizard and muggle!
**********The Headmaster quickly dealt with the most important items of school business before dismissing everyone but Minerva and Severus. He explained the circumstances surrounding the missing child to Minerva briefly, watching the horror and outrage replace the curiosity that she had first shown. “Of course, I’ll help the child in any way that I can, you know that Albus, you don’t even need to ask!” She turned to Severus and asked, “Now, exactly what does the child look like, Severus?”
Severus gestured about two and a half feet off the ground, “He’s about that tall, he’s very small for his age, he looks about two, but his understanding and reading make me suspect he’s at least three or maybe even four. He has very black hair, I had to cut it all off the back of his head to keep the cuts on his scalp clean, but it was long and matted with dirt and dried blood when he first appeared. He has two very deep cuts on his forehead that I am afraid will scar badly. His eyes are the most remarkable green I have ever seen, a deep emerald color, with long curling black lashes, almost like a girl’s.”
“His skin is even paler than mine, but I doubt he was ever let outside, surely someone would have noticed his condition otherwise. He is very frail and every rib and bone, even his hip bones are plainly visible. When he first appeared three weeks ago he barely weighed one and a half stone. He might be closer to two stone by now; I have been feeding him six to eight times a day, just small amounts each time. He was wearing a nappy, but he is potty trained. He was covered in bruises, both old and new, so it’s hard to really describe anything else. Except he is very good at being very quiet, it’s easy to forget he is in the room with you. Oh, and he shudders and hides quickly at any loud noise, especially a raised and angry voice.”
Minerva stopped to squeeze Severus’ shoulder in support before taking the list of possible names from Albus and leaving to floo to Arabella Figg’s house to meet up with Hestia and split the task.
**********
Severus checked on the boy first thing after returning to his quarters before beginning to start brewing potions for the hospital wing stocks. It was less than a half hour later when he felt a small hand grabbing the back of his robes in a familiar and strangely comforting touch. “Hello, child, I’m sorry you were so frightened by the strangers in the Great Hall. I will introduce you to them one at a time and we will eat here in our quarters until you are more comfortable with them. Will that be all right, child?” He looked down into the beautiful green eyes and saw fear once again.
He knelt beside the boy and slowly reached out his arms, waiting for the child to initiate the physical contact. It took a moment, but the boy came forward and reached his boney arms out to the tall man kneeling and waiting patiently for him. He buried his head in the comforting smell of potions and aftershave of the man he was beginning to trust. “You won’t send me away, Severus? I can stay with you?” Severus hugged him as tightly as he dared as he rubbed the back of the still almost shaved head.
“No, child, I will never send you away. I will do everything in my power to keep you here and keep you safe. But we need to find your parents so they can be punished for how they treated you and so that the ministry will let me keep you. Can you tell me the names of your mummy and daddy, child?”
Child felt bad, but he shook his head as he admitted, “I don’t know their names, I never met them. Aunt and Uncle kept me and they always called them ‘Freaks’ like me. Nothing else, just ‘Freaks’. I don’t know any other names.” The child was shaking in fear after thinking about his relatives once again, he had pushed them far back into his mind, trying to bury them so deep he would never have to think of them again.
“Shh, child, shh, it’s all right. We might be able to find them without knowing their names. There are people looking for them right now. And no, we will NOT send you back to them, never, never, NEVER!” He allowed a little fierceness to sound in his voice, knowing the child needed the reassurance more than he needed the soft voice.
Severus stood up, bringing the child with him and sat him on a counter, talking to him the whole time as he returned to brewing. The child watched him all afternoon, fascinated with what he was seeing and learning.
**********
The child had been introduced to the glories of spaghetti and meatballs and then bathed and put to bed for the night when Severus was casting ‘scourgify’ to the table, the floor, and the chairs. He heard a soft chime letting him know the Headmaster wanted to speak with him. He called Nippy to watch the child and left for the Headmaster’s office at a brisk walk, curious to know if they had found the child’s parent.
After being called into the room, he found Arabella, Hestia, Minerva, and Albus seated around the Headmaster’s desk, the large registry book open once again. They looked up at his entry; he could tell by their expressions that they had found none of the boys missing. Albus sat back as Severus took a chair and steepled his fingers in thought. “No one is missing a boy between the ages of two and five. And I found no one we had forgotten to list. I am sorry, Severus, but now I think we shall have to check on those children with just one magical parent. Perhaps that parent doesn’t openly use magic, explaining why the child had never seen it performed.”
Severus nodded and thanked the two witches, “Thank you for checking ladies, but the child admitted after his nap that he didn’t know his parents names at all as he has never met them. He said his aunt and uncle were the ones he lived with and he didn’t know their names at all.”
“Ah, let me check once again,” Albus turned back to the large open book on his desk, “I cannot tell by the book, especially if the child’s last name is the same as the uncle’s. My book lists the names of guardians, but not the relationship. Perhaps if I could be introduced to the child and observe him as you talk to him about his family?”
**********
Severus and Albus bid the three witches good night and walked together back down to the dungeons. “Perhaps Severus, we might convince you to move your quarters so that your rooms are not so damp and cold and you have daylight in them, now that you have a young child to care for? I suspect that at some point you will need a separate bedroom for the child too.”
Severus nodded noncommittally and opened the door to his lounge. He quietly led the headmaster into his bedchamber and stopped to gaze at the sleeping boy, cradled in the sheepskin of his box he looked so angelic. Severus smiled and looked back at his mentor only to find an expression of shock and bewilderment on the older man’s face. Severus asked, “Do you recognize him, Albus, does he look familiar at all, perhaps you taught his father or mother?”
Albus took two steps over and plopped heavily on the end of Severus’ bed, “Severus, there is no one there, it is an empty box!”
Severus looked at the ancient Headmaster as if he had grown another head. He walked softly over to the peacefully sleeping child gently put an arm under his neck and the other behind his knees and picked him up, stopping briefly to gently hug the child before placing him in the headmaster’s arms. Albus was too startled to think about what he was doing and automatically put his arms out to cradle the invisible but obviously sleeping child next to his long beard. The child stretched, wiggled and settled back to sleep, accepting the old man’s arms as safe.
“I am not joking, Severus, I can feel him; but I cannot see him and even though I felt him move and yawn, I did not hear him at all. Tell me again what you see?”
Severus sat down on the chair he used to put his boots on and looked at the other man, “I see you Albus, with the child cradled to your chest. He moved and settled down and he now has one hand clenched in your beard, the way he usually grabs at my robes when he is in my arms. But how can this be, how can you not see him when he is in your arms!”
Albus asked Severus to move his bedroom mirror over. They both looked into the reflection to see if that made a difference. Severus could still see the child in Albus’ embrace, but neither Albus nor the mirror could see the child. Severus left and went to collect Poppy Pomfrey from the infirmary. He really wanted her to check the child out anyway to see if there was a better nutrient potion that the generic one he had been giving the child each day.
She entered his bedroom quietly, glanced at Albus and then looked around the room. “Well, I can’t check him out if I don’t know where he is! Bring me the boy, Severus.” Severus just nodded toward Albus and Poppy turned to look at him closer. She noticed he had his arms curled as if he was holding something and then looking closer it looked like something small was clenching tightly around his beard.
Her eyes widened but she pulled out her wand and cast a diagnostic spell. She looked stunned as she said, “Albus, my wand shows you holding a small child about three and a half years old. A boy who has been recently healed from some very severe injuries. Good job, on the broken bones and the lacerations, Severus, I can tell he is still malnourished and severely underweight, but I can tell he has recently gained some weight. He needs to drink more milk and eat a little more protein in his diet or we can adjust the nutrient potion you have been feeding him. But why is he invisible?”
Albus chuckled, “Well, that’s the most important question isn’t it? And we have absolutely no idea how or why he is invisible. I can detect no spell, and I assume you would have found a potion, I admit I am totally stumped.”
Severus still looked gobsmacked, “But what do we do with him now? I mean how do you find the guardians of an invisible boy? How do I get custody of him?”
Albus shook his head, “Well, I guess you just pick a name for him and if he ever becomes visible we will handle the ministry paperwork when that happens. I doubt that the bureaucrats in the ministry would be able to even comprehend the problem. So, I guess congratulations are in order Severus, you now have a son. He has obviously chosen you, since no one else can see him. I would suggest that you introduce him to the others individually before the students return next week.” Albus awkwardly held his arms out for Severus to reclaim the still soundly sleeping child.
He took the mediwitch’s arm and led her out of the room. “We will see the two of you for breakfast. I will inform the others about the problem and I assure you, they will all ignore him as much as possible. Good night… and good luck, child.”
**********
Severus Snape snarled through the castle the next morning, glaring at the occupants of the portraits that appeared to be following him through a succession of frames. He didn’t dare yell at them, he could feel the small hand clutching the back edge of his frock coat. He had held the child in his lap for almost an hour that morning already explaining exactly what would be happening and who he would be seeing. He promised that no one was going to take him away. That he would be staying with Severus and the other professors would not care that he was living in the castle even if he wasn’t eleven years old yet. Child nodded at the appropriate times, but deep in his heart he didn’t believe that he wouldn’t be returned to the Dursleys if the others saw him so he decided to remain invisible and silent like Ogden had taught him.
Severus stopped in front of the doors to the Great Hall and calmed himself down. The child needed him so he could not raise his voice, and he could not snarl or bellow at the idiots he worked with without frightening the boy even further. He was positive that they would be rude and obnoxious; it was in their very nature. He sighed and hoped there was enough time to get the boy settled before school started. Blast, he couldn’t put this off any longer. He began talking softly to the boy, telling him again what would happen and who he would be meeting. He reassured the child that he would not leave him alone for even a minute and the child could hide in his robes, under his robes, on his lap, or under the table, whatever made him feel the safest.
He pushed open the door and walked slowly and carefully toward the staff table, talking to the child the whole time. He would stop every few feet until he could feel the grip on the back of him loosen a little, he would walk until it tightened up, wait for the almost imperceptible loosening and the walk again.
He spared a glance at the head table, but everyone seemed to be inordinately involved with eating breakfast and ignoring him, though he had to admit the sight was probably strange.
Minerva looked up under the pretense of pouring more tea in her cup, she smiled gently at the sight of the bane of her Gryffindors, walking slowly and stopping, talking non stop to no one. She wondered at how the child was invisible, but if Albus and Poppy could find nothing, she was certain that she wouldn’t either. She went back to her fresh fruit and tried to ignore Severus as he managed to finally make it to the table and pull out a chair on the very end, away from everyone else. He dished a small plate with scrambled eggs and several pieces of fruit. He placed it carefully onto the floor between his feet and dished his own breakfast.
Hagrid had been cautioned to make his voice as soft as he could and he really tried, but he forgot toward the end of breakfast and let out a loud laugh at something Professor Flitwick said about Snape’s invisible friend. Severus’ arms snapped around a something in his lap and then suddenly he was grasping at nothing. He stood quickly, “Albus, he’s gone! That oaf frightened him, he jumped into my lap and then he disappeared. I’m going back to my quarters; I hope he shows up there!” He snarled at Hagrid as he swept past, his robes billowing ominously behind him.
Hagrid was apologizing profusely and was almost incoherent with his upset. “It’s all right, Hagrid, we know you were trying, but the child is very nervous and frightens easily at the slightest loud noise.” Albus had gone over and picked up the empty plate and fork from the floor and replaced them on the table. “Well, at least he had finished eating first.”
**********
Severus swept into his chambers, angry at Hagrid, worried and concerned about the boy. He almost ran into his bedroom… no child; wait… was the wardrobe slightly open? He calmed his breathing and schooled his expression neutral once more before softly walking toward the open wardrobe, making sure his footsteps could be heard. He opened the door a little bit wider and found two frightened green eyes looking up at him. He reached his arms out and was rewarded with a big armful of silently crying little boy. He took him over toward his bed and sat down, holding the child tightly in his lap.
“Oh child, Hagrid is a very big man; he did not mean to frighten you. The students are returning next week and you must learn to tune the noises out, they will be loud and rude and noisy and I cannot leave the Great Hall during meals or leave my classroom every time a noise frightens you. It was fine to climb up on my lap when you were scared; I won’t let anyone hurt you. Do you understand child?”
He felt a shaky nod against his chest, reaching down he tipped the thin chin up until he was looking into the still tear filled eyes, “I have been thinking, would you like to have my name? Would you like to be mine, child?”
He felt his heart would break as he enjoyed the thin arms now tightly clenched around his neck. “Yes, child, but I need to be able to breathe. So our last name is Snape, and in my family it is a tradition that you receive a name from your grandfather as well as a first name that begins with the letter ‘S’. I have been thinking do you like Shaun, which means gift from God? Because you are my gift, you know that child? And then maybe my father’s name for your middle name, Sebastian? Would you like to be Shaun Sebastian Snape, child?”
The small boy leaned his head back and almost whispering asked, “Are you my daddy now?”
Severus hugged him and kissed him gently, hating the involuntary shudder the touch on his face brought to the boy, “Yes, child if that is okay with you.”
“I don’t know your daddy can I have your name instead?”
Severus thought he had never smiled as widely as he did then. He felt that his heart would burst from his chest with the strong emotion the little boy brought out in him at those few words. He was afraid to speak through his emotions, so he simply nodded his head, his eyes moist with gentle pride.
The boy nodded once again, “Shaun Severus Snape, Daddy, Shaun Severus Snape is my name!”
The two left, Shaun holding his father’s hand for the first time to return to the Great Hall and meet the half giant called Hagrid.