When Snape Apparated into his lab, it felt once more as though years had passed since he was last there. And still, yet again, it had been no more than a few hours...

He saw the jumper and tried to envision Shadow sleeping on it, through the new perspective he had gained of Potter.

A timid cat, who didn't like sudden movements, who didn’t draw attention to himself and who never meowed... who had taken up with the first person to show him a hint of kindness, offering his loyalty in exchange.

A cat who did not complain about his injuries and who devoured his food as though he had never had any before.

Potter. His cat. He couldn’t help but feel suddenly possessive towards the animal... and the teenager. He was going to have to come quicky to his senses, however ; this was Potter, Harry Potter, there wasn’t a living soul who wanted to see him hanging around the boy any more than was necessary. With the exception of Dumbledore, perhaps, but the old fool had an annoying habit of wanting to go against nature and create improbable associations.

And an even more irritating exception was that of Voldemort, who, if he started to become suspicious of Snape's intentions regarding Potter, then the Potions master would be the first to suffer. The Dark Lord would use him to get hold of the boy and his position would be compromised. He was going to have to use all his Occlumency skills.

He was a spy and had been for years. If he had managed to fool the Dark Lord concerning his loyalty up until now, he could still do it. He knew to remain discreet and aloof, in all circumstances.

But he was still going to have a serious discussion with Dumbledore about his methods of keeping the boy safe.

He cast a final look about the room before throwing a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace.

Yes, the world had tilted on its axis... and he was going to have to reorient himself.Quickly.

When he arrived at Grimmauld Place, the place was empty. It was now not much past noon, but apparently the Order members hadn't eaten there today. Dumbledore had no doubt stayed alone with Potter...

He was going to go up and join them, but needed a moment to himself. A moment to put his thoughts in order and think about what he was going to say to the headmaster... and how he was going to say it.

Up above, a door closed softly and he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. A moment later Dumbledore entered the Blacks’ sitting room.

He looked inquisitive, a small smile on his lips as he joined the Potions master next to the fireplace. Lost in thought, Snape did not immediately look up.

“Severus ?”

Snape finally looked up at the headmaster, whose smile disappeared instantly. Quite suddenly he seemed to age several years and his shoulders fell as he stared at the professor.

“Perhaps we should sit down ?” he suggested.

Snape nodded and sat down on one of the comfortable armchairs, his legs crossed, and took a deep breath while Dumbledore took a seat opposite.

“Where are things, Severus ?” he asked in a low voice.

Snape could not restrain a grimace of disgust.

“How often did you check on the living conditions of your little protégé, Albus ?”

“This summer, or before he started at Hogwarts ?” asked the headmaster.

A sneer answered him.

Dumbledore sighed.

“Judging by your reaction, not often enough. Harry wrote regularly this summer and gave no impression of having been unwelcome,” he said.

“Unwelcome ?” queried the Potions master incredulously. “Unwelcome, Albus? Do you have any idea how the boy is treated at home ? Or what his so-called family thinks of him, and makes him think of himself ?”

“Severus, they are his family ! Their way of life is undoubtedly very different from ours and there is no doubt that Harry’s presence there is a disruption, but he is still their nephew and they have protected him until now!” protested Dumbledore.

Snape stiffened, his hands clenched on the arms of the chair.

“Protected him ? By throwing him out at the first opportunity?”

The grey-haired wizard opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance.

“I don’t want to know anything about their reasons ! The loss of a close relative is always painful, but to blame this death on a child already in mourning... Oh yes, they knew, Albus ! Harry wakes up every night crying from nightmares of Black’s death!” snarled Snape, leaping to his feet.

The headmaster leant back a bit more in his armchair, eyes half-closed, but the Potions master did not give him time to form an answer..

“As to his injuries, I have discovered their origin and I can treat them,” he continued more calmly. “And you were right, they are not magical injuries.”

Dumbledore cast him an almost imploring look, but Snape continued, teeth clenched.

“They were inflicted, one by one, with a belt, wielded by his uncle.”

The headmaster closed his eyes completely this time, resting his forehead on a hand. But Snape had no intention of finishing there. Dumbledore himself had not wanted to use Legilimancy on the fat bully who'd masqueraded as the boy’s uncle, but he would not necessarily escape a detailed account of his misdeeds.

“It would seem that Vernon Dursley was truly convinced of your little protege’s guilt, Albus. Petunia said nothing to contradict him, but we’ll come back to that charming woman later. Be that as it may, Vernon went straightaway to tell his nephew what he thought of him and his habit of bringing misfortune upon people. Of causing their deaths. And in order to ensure his point of view was fully understood, he beat the lesson into the boy’s head with his belt before breaking several bones by kicking him. So, what do you think now of their manner of protecting him, Albus ? And of loving him?”

Snape stopped, having run out of breath, and stared at the old man opposite him. Now, he had his head in his hands and looked nothing like the powerful wizard whom even Voldemort feared, nothing like the respected headmaster of the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. Snape saw nothing but an old man, broken by his mistakes, who could have very well done with a stiff drink.

Muttering, Snape opened the drinks cabinet, got out a bottle of whisky and filled a glass. He hadn’t meant to shout at the headmaster in such an accusatory tone. The naive and casual manner with which he'd considered Harry’s safety at the Muggles had made Snape see red. How could Dumbledore have been so negligent towards a child he seemed to hold so dear ? On whom rested the future of the wizarding world ?

He held the glass out to the headmaster, who took it with a slightly trembling hand.

Reluctantly, Snape sat down again in his chair, giving both himself and the old man time to calm down.

“Never before this,” Dumbledore said finally in a weak voice, “I 've had no reason to suspect that Vernon Dursley could be violent towards Harry. Have you delved into his memories, Severus ? With respect to Harry ?”

Snape nodded, but did not immediately reply. Should he tell him all of it? The man already seemed weighed down by what he had learned so far. Snape sighed… He scarcely had a choice; Harry’s safety depended on it.

“Yes, I searched his memories for several representative scenes showing his relationship with the boy. From the day he first arrived, up until this summer…”

He paused once again, gathering his thoughts. The famous Harry Potter, hated and neglected his whole childhood…. The Daily Prophet would have a field day. In any event, Potter had been careful not to draw attention to himself and, to some extent, Snape understood perfectly. It was a certain sense of propriety that Snape would not himself expose.

He had to give Dumbledore his report, but nothing required him to go into great detail. If the man absolutely had to have his fill of sordid anecdotes, he could go to the Dursleys himself for them ; Snape was sure that he'd seen but the tip of the iceberg.

Meeting the headmaster's eye once again, Snape saw there his expectation and apprehension. No, it definitely would accomplish noththing to give more detail than strictly necessary.

“Apparently, Vernon Dursley ratcheted the violence up a notch following Harry’s return this year. I don’t think he'd beaten him so severely before this point, though it appears he never had any hesitation over applying a well-placed slap. On the other hand, depriving the boy of food and overburdening him with chores… That seems to be the normal routine of this household. But it’s not only that, Albus…they truly hate the child. All of them. None of them has ever really thought to protect him, they've all just tolerated him… his fate doesn’t concern them in the slightest. There is no way he can go back there.”

Dumbledore sat up straighter in his chair.

“Petunia is Harry’s aunt, they share the same blood. I know that Vernon Dursley holds a very negative image of the magical world but Petunia grew up with Lily, and you know how attached she was to her. She will be able to make her husband see sense once tempers have calmed down, I am certain of it. Nevertheless, it seems evident that Harry cannot return. The protection has proven to be too weak and after what you have just told me, Severus…”

Snape interrupted him, his voice dangerously calm.

“You haven't listened to me, Albus. Or rather, you don’t want to hear it. Yes, Petunia loved Lily. But she never transferred any of that love to Harry. To coin a phrase, ‘You cannot force a person to love’. Listen carefully to me this time : that woman has never considered her nephew as anything but a burden and a nuisance. She, like her husband, did everything in her power to make his life miserable. By mutual agreement, they mistreated him, deprived him of food, treated him like a freak, and I probably know only the half of it. Petunia has no intention of making anyone see reason : one way or another she wants to get rid of Potter, and encourages her husband in this.

“She was present when Vernon literally pounded the boy, and she did not intervene. After that, she threw out the boy’s glasses so you wouldn’t find them, and would deduce from that that the boy did not leave of his own accord. The woman is a monster….the whole family are monsters . I would on no account permit the boy to set foot in that house again, not even if the wards were reestablished even better than before,” he concluded, almost hissing the last sentence through his teeth.

He could see a glitter of amusement in the headmaster’s eyes, well hidden by the shock his words had caused.

“My, my, Severus, what a passionate plea that was… and I don’t blame you a bit,” he added, seeing the Potions master’s eyes harden.

“My mistakes regarding the boy are so numerous that the simple sight of him will make me blush with shame. I sent you to the Dursleys without giving you all the information in my possession, for which I am without excuse, Professor. It seemed to me that your view of things would be more complete and objective if you discovered them without prior knowledge. I had not realised how brutal the revelations would be, however, and…for that I am sorry.”

He sighed. Snape frowned, preparing himself to listen to the headmaster’s story.

“I have always known that Harry’s family was not ideal in a number of ways. Mrs Figg, a Squib neighbour, was tasked with keeping an eye on him. Her reports indicated that the boy did not seem to be treated as an equal with his cousin and that the care accorded to him left something to be desired. However, it was never a question of mistreatment, strictly speaking. Considering the strengthof the wards which protected him, it seemed a small price to pay.”

Snape clenched his teeth, but did not reply. What had the old fool been thinking ?

“In addition, I shared your fears, though for different reasons, that Harry would become arrogant and weak if he were raised by people in our world who would know his value all too well.. A wizarding family would have raised him as Harry Potter, famous hero, no thanks to himself …and a worthy successor to his parents. By staying with his Muggle family, Harry had the chance to grow up like a normal child.”

Dumbledore watched the Potions master freeze in his chair again, ready to leap up.

“But I realise now that he never had that chance, not in the way I intended it, » he added. “When term starts again at Hogwarts, and Harry is once again safe, I will visit the Dursley family myself. After which, wizarding social services will have the task of removing Harry from their guardianship. By all accounts, this should not be a problem,” he concluded with a sigh.

Calmer now, Snape nodded.

“To whom will you entrust the boy ?” he asked.

“That question merits some reflection, but I think that the Weasley family presents as a first choice. They have regularly raised the question in the past and already consider Harry as a son. I don’t think Harry will object either…”

“No,” agreed the Potions professor, “he would no doubt even see it as a veritable birthday present .”

The two men smiled slightly. The storm had passed… For now, Harry was going to have to be taken care of, and the problems related to this had only just begun.

“How has Harry behaved in my absence ?” asked Snape, more relaxed now.

He thought he saw a flash of mischief flicker in the headmaster’s eyes.

“It is quite obvious that Harry the cat trusts only you, Severus. I wasn't able to get near him….but I did not try for very long either. My presence seemed to disturb him, but I did not want to leave him alone in his room. I followed your advice, but he didn’t want to touch the fish I offered him. When I left him, he was hidden under a chest of drawers and glared at me as if I were Fang’s long-lost cousin.”

Snape sighed.

“He must be hungry, though…I'll go up and see him. His wounds being exactly what they seem to be, it won’t be hard to heal them, but we'll still need to sort out his transformation problems. If the wounds reopen each time Harry returns to human form, they could rapidly get worse.”

Dumbledore nodded.

“We're going to have a great deal of work to do with this boy before term starts . You saw nothing in the Dursleys’ memories that could explain this new ability ?”

Snape thought pensively for a moment.

“Not in their memories, no, but there was something else…. In the boy’s bedroom, I felt traces of magic which could not have been his. Something powerful, ancient and yet recent. I couldn’t identify it, but I think the two could be connected .”

Dumbledore’s eyes were sparkling now.

“Your extraordinary sensitivity to magic is not the least of your talents, Severus… I myself did not detect it on my trip there. Your gift was no doubt developed largely by your Muggle environment where you grew up.”

Snape picked up the implication and frowned.

“I have never claimed that growing up among Muggles was a hardship, Albus. But the way Potter was brought up, on the other hand, definitely was one.”

Dumbledore nodded and waved his hand in a conciliatory gesture. This was probably not the time to remind the professor of the many things he and the boy had in common.

But did Snape really have need of that? Seeing how he had defended Harry, and the rage that overtook him when he'd recounted the abuse Harry had suffered at the hands of his family, the professor’s opinion had just taken a completely different turn.

And this situation quite suited Dumbledore.

If he had failed Harry for so long, he had scarcely watched over Severus any better, from his arrival at Hogwarts as a mere student. The headmaster heartily intended to remedy that now, and it seemed more and more evident that the solution was to be found in this possessiveness the professor suddenly had when talking about the boy, and in the blind confidence the cat had towards this same professor.

He followed the Potions master into the room where they found the cat hidden under the chest of drawers, in the exact spot where the headmaster had left him. Snape took the bowl of fish and smelled it.

“It is fresh... Mr Potter is being paranoid.”

He bent down .

“Come on, don’t be stupid, this fish is very good.” He put the bowl down in front of the chest this time.

The cat kept his eyes trained on the professor, seeming hesitant.

Snape knew what was confusing the cat, but he was certainly not going to change his tone of voice in front of the headmaster. He felt that he had given enough of himself away today while reporting in the sitting room.

It was Dumbledore, however, who addressed the problem.

“I think Harry as he is now is no longer accustomed to your way of speaking. You probably don’t speak to a cat as you would a student...” he suggested gently.

Snape groaned, but ended by resigning himself. Just as well to get this over with quickly, and it would remain strictly between him and the headmaster.

“Come on, cat. Come here. Dinner time,” he said in his 'Shadow' voice. Seeing the cat hazard a fearful step towards him, sensitive to his change in tone, Snape suddenly realised that he had only ever used such a tone of voice for Shadow. He had never had a pet before and even less reason to address anyone in such a soothing voice.

He watched as the cat came towards him to eat the fish in the bowl at his feet. He had to stop himself from automatically petting the animal. He hadn't the least desire to turn around and see the look in Dumbledore’s eyes just then, Merlin save him from this absolutley ridiculous situation.

When the cat had finished with its bowl, he finally decided to get up. Contrary to Snape's expectations, it was Shadow that the headmaster was staring at…nostalgically? Was he rueing the fact that Potter had waited for Snape's permission to eat, refusing the food offered to him by the old man, who saw himself as his protector?

Snape couldn't help but feel a mixture of triumph and satisfaction, that he quickly tried to suppress.

Potter was going to have to resume his human form, and the thought of it was in no way amusing. Truly not.

“What do you think, Albus ? He seems calm. There are only two of us and the room is familiar to him... Should we change him back ?”

Dumbledore nodded.

“Do you have your potions with you ? I'm afraid there'll be a repeat of what happened earlier, whatever precautions we take.”

Snape nodded. Yes, everything was ready, he had no reason to postpone it.

“Potter. Cat. Listen to me carefully... I know that your last transformation didn't leave you with a good impression, but we’re going to make sure that everything goes well this time. No one is going to hurt you, you are safe. Trust us.”

He took a step backward and looked at Dumbledore, who indicated he should start.

“Animagus revelio!”

A moment later, an unsteady and lost-looking Potter stood before them in his ripped clothes, his injuries still visible but not bleeding, Snape noted with relief.

The boy leant awkwardly against the chest of drawers, trying to find his balance and his wits. Squinting, he seemed to be battling to regain his awareness.

It looked as though the world had tilted for him too, and by more than five degrees, mused Snape.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak to Harry, but Snape silenced him with a wave of his hand. Better to give the boy time to resolve his dilemma himself before interfering.

He was rewarded a few moments later when he heard a weak voice mumble : “Where...” The boy held a hand on his forehead, eyes half closed, as though he were suffering the start of a migraine.

Snape opened a potion and pressed it into the boy’s hands.

“Drink that, Potter ”

Hearing his name, the boy pushed the vial away and tried to retreat.

Snape sighed.

“Harry. Take it, it should make you feel better.”

Taking advantage of the boy’s hesitation, Snape shoved the potion into his hands and lifted them gently towards his mouth.

The boy swallowed without a fight. He felt sick, he was no longer sure who he was, but the voice was reassuring .

A moment later, he felt his headache fade, and then he relaxed slightly.

“And to your question, we’re at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,” continued the voice in the same even and comforting tone.

“Sirius...” he murmured.

“Yes,” replied another voice which made him jump. “Sirius’s house... yours now, Harry.”

The hazy silhouette who'd spoken remained on the other side of the room. That voice... he knew it, it was synonymous with safety, with authority too, and Hogwarts. That voice stood for Hogwarts. An old man. Dumbledore, yes, it was Dumbledore, the headmaster, who had watched over him since he'd arrived there.

But then, the other voice? He liked it and feared at the same time. He couldn’t work out if it was unpleasant or comforting.

In a way, more comforting than the headmaster’s, because... because? Images flashed through his mind, too fast, too many...

He heard Dumbledore’s voice call his name.

“Harry, would you like to sit on the bed for a few moments ?”

It was actually a good suggestion. He let himself drop onto the bed, a good distance from the two figures. He hurt everywhere in spite of the potion... nothing unbearable, but he felt like he’d been trampled by a hippogriff.

He jumped when the old man's voice called to him again.

“How do you feel, Harry ?”

He really didn’t know what to say to that question, or rather how to say it.

“I....fine. Sort of,” he heard himself respond. Was that truly he who'd spoken? Yes, it must have been.

“Could you tell us your name ?” the other voice asked, that of the man in black near the chest of drawers. The man in black...the dungeons...Snape ! His name was Snape and he was... Oh Merlin... how could he....how was he…?

His memories were all jumbled up again.

“Harry James Potter,” he replied rotely.

He sensed more than saw the satisfied look that passed between the two men.

“Cat...” he added, without knowing why. He had wanted to say another name, but held it back at the last minute. He didn’t want to say this other name. It was his, and it was also ...Snape’s ?

He stared at the professor, trying to get a clearer picture of the silhouette. Was it really the same person as was in his memory ?

Harry saw the man startle when he said his other name. He had confusedly sensed that neither did the man want him to reveal the name he had given the cat... Was he afraid of being ridiculed ? Probably... his memories were starting to sort themselves out in his head. He had spent a great deal of time with Snape in recent weeks, and the man hadn’t acted as he usally would've.

“Harry, do you remember who we are ?” asked the voice of the man with the long beard. The one who had offered him fish earlier... Oh, god. What had happened ?

“You’re Professor Dumbledore and...” he hesitated. How should he say it ? “Professor Snape. I think,” he concluded miserably.

“Very good, Harry,” Dumbledore reassured him. “You had us very worried. We'd lost track of you for a long while and were afraid you had come to harm.”

Afraid ? Yes, probably... The two men seemed tense. There'd been that scene in the sitting room... in the dungeon... and before that ?

“Do you remember anything, my boy ?” asked the voice.

“Yes...” replied Harry without moving. “But it’s all fuzzy...as if I were seeing it through someone else's eyes.”

“The eyes of a cat perhaps ?” suggested Dumbledore.

Harry thought about that. The word resonated familiarly in his head. Yes, that made sense... He'd thought cats were good at jumping, but that it was difficult to lick himself to get clean…

Oh Merlin.

The teenager suddenly went beet-red as as the memories returned full-force to his mind. Memories that now made perfect sense.

“It’s all right, Harry, you have nothing to worry about. We still don’t know what happened to you, but you are safe now and we are going to take care of all this,” Dumbledore said comfortingly.

It suddenly struck Harry that he would never dare look the Potions professor in the eye again. He had... oh blimey, he had taken up residence in the professor’s lab for...how long ? A good two weeks, if one was to believe the man’s shouts when he'd discovered Harry's identity.

He had never so badly wanted the ground to swallow him up. Of all the embarrassing situations he could've lived through, this one took the biscuit. Even the appearance of Moaning Myrtle in the prefects’ bathroom hadn’t made him feel so ill at ease.

The worst thing was that he couldn’t bring himself to entirely regret his two weeks of amnesia. For possibly the first time in his life, he had felt safe. Protected. He was safe at Hogwarts, of course, but that was different... Something could always happen in the corridors, a basilisk or an escaped prisoner...and in the dungeon, he'd felt...oh, very well, he'd felt at home.

By the fire, in his armchair, on his jumper, with the Man in Black to protect him. It was completely pathetic...and yet he was already missing it.

How he'd been able to come to consider Snape as a symbol of safety, he didn’t know...There might be something to be said for amnesia, after all.

Thinking hard about it, the professor had had indeed contributed to this situation. He’d welcomed and cared for him... He'd had this way of speaking to him, paid attention to him, of seeking out his company, even.

He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Not only did the situation make him feel sick with shame, but...it was over, wasn’t it ? Snape was going to be furious with him. Really furious... The business with the Pensieve had been but a small foretaste of what was waiting for him now.

Harry was, at least, almost sure that the professor had no intention of hitting him. He'd had plenty of opportunity to do so and, even, to wring his neck…but he had brought him here, and cared for him.

“Harry ?” Dumbledore called to him.

The boy jumped.

“Harry, we'll need your help to piece together the last few weeks. We now know where you were when we were looking for you and the reasons you left, but there are many parts we don’t know. Could you, please, search for your memories since, say, the moment you arrived this summer at Privet Drive ?”

An irritated clicking of a tongue answered the headmaster, and Snape's voice, colder this time, interrupted him.

“Potter, how do you feel ? Do you need a potion ?”

Snape was worried about his health ? That was new... no, not new, he revised, the man had been more concerned about his well being for the last two weeks than all the rest of the world had been for… what ? His whole life ?

“I think I’ll be all right, thanks. It’s just that everything is a bit hazy.”

“Try to concentrate on memories that don’t cause a problem. Your arrival at home, for example,” Snape recommended.

Harry nodded.

“In fact, everything is quite clear until, I think... My birthday. Until then, everything was going normally.”

Snape groaned at these words. Normally ? What exactly did the boy mean by 'normally'?

“Potter, before you go any further, I must tell you that I paid a little visit to your family. More precisely, I subjected your uncle to Legilimency. Understand from this that there is nothing of how your family acted 'normally' with you that Professor Dumbledore and I are unaware,” he said dryly.

Harry felt himself flush violently Very well, after all, he'd been wrong, things could get even more embarrassing.

“They aren’t... Well...things were complicated this summer, with Marge's accident, and Dudley's problems, and Uncle Vernon had health problems too...”

“Which didn’t seem to bother him when it was a matter of inflicting you with a punishment more suited to a champion fighter, so it seemed to me,” Snape said ironically.

He regretted his sarcasm immediately when he saw the boy’s face crumple. If he was to watch over Harry, he was going to have to begin by not hurting him every time he spoke to him.

“Potter,” he said more gently, “we will talk more about that later. For the moment, focus on your memories.”

Haryr shrugged and continued, avoiding looking at the two men.

“No matter... nothing special happened before... Marge’s death. Uncle Vernon was furious, he thought I had... well, yes... that it was my fault. And he...”

The boy swallowed with difficulty. Snape was tempted to tell him that they already knew, that it wasn't necessary for him to tell them, but the boy needed to say it... even if it was difficult.

"He got angry, he hit me. Hard. For a long time. After that, I don’t remember very well... I remember that he told me to leave, that I didn’t live there anymore. I thought about the wards... but, I don’t know... I wasn't really thinking. It was....hazy.”

He glanced apologetically at the two men before staring down at the floor once again.

“It doesn’t matter, Harry. You have good reason not to remember that night precisely but please continue. It is very important.”

The teenager took a deep breath.

“After that, I just remember having looked at the window, having wished I could escape that way. There are bars, you see, so...oh. Yes, you know that already. Well whatever, I think I really did get out that way... I know it’s unbelievebale, but I really think I transformed into a, erm, cat.”

He felt even more stupid saying it than remembering it, but the look on Dumbledore's face reassured him.

“We believe you, Harry. What we want to know is how it could have happened. Do you have any idea ?”

Harry shook his head.

“No... I wasn’t trying to do it, not really, it was just...what I had to do, and I could do it. After that, I don’t remember... Just that something really wanted to take me somewhere else, it was as though I was floating. In the end, I saw a big house in the distance, and I realised I was walking. On all fours, I mean, finally as a cat. One of the front paws really hurt, it hurt to walk, but I felt light and eventually I got there. After that, I saw Professor Snape come out of the house, but I didn’t really recognise him. And, um...”

Harry felt himself blush again. And then ? Snape had picked him up ?

Dumbledore saved him by tactfully changing the subject

“Did you decide to try to find Professor Snape, Harry ?”

“No !” he cried before catching himself, with an apologetic look for the professor, “I mean, I didn’t even know where you lived, Professor. I wasn’t really thinking. I don’t think I was really thinking of anything at that moment, except saving myself.”

He was astonished when the Potions master didn’t retort that Harry never thought about anything anyway, but Snape contented himself with a pensive nod of his head..

Evidently, he'd thought he'd heard a voice in his head, telling him to go to that place. But it'd felt more like an internal voice, nothing like the visions that Voldemort sent him or the Imperius curse. Still...his eyes sought out his wrist. Yes, it was indeed there, so strange and yet so familiar.

“But there was something unusual , that night ! I put on the bracelet that Hermione sent me!” he said, brandishing the object. “From what her letter said, it was supposed to lead me to someone who could help me !”

“Which it did, my child, more effectively that anyone could have imagined ! Do not forget to thank that remarkable young woman, Harry. She probably saved your life.”

Stunned, Harry looked at the bracelet. So he had been in real danger that night. From his uncle, of course, but he had also been aware of that other presence, dark and menacing...

He suddenly felt very tired.

“Harry ?” called a serious voice. Worried, it seemed to him. Far away. “Is everything all right ?”

He felt the silhouette of the man in black move swiftly towards him, but his sight had suddenly become more blurred. His thoughts too...

Brutally, the pain returned, much more intense. With a cry, he brought his hands up to his scar, throwing his head back.

A voice...red eyes... Voldemort was happy. No, excited.

“Potter !” The eyes stared at him intently, piercing his scull, triumphant. “Oh Potter, how I have missed you !” He could feel the demented laugh and the hate wash over him in waves of pure suffering, while he tried to tear away the scar from which they were coming.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, there was nothing but the laugh and the eyes, his scar... He was aware of a voice from far away, but it didn’t belong to this world.

Then suddenly, a word, a voice broke through and he understood it.

“Shadow ! Become Shadow again ! Now !”

He felt a firm hand on the back of his neck and he knew that he should listen. Even if the words didn’t mean anything, they signified safety, an end to the pain...

A moment later, the eyes disappeared and the world reappeared. Not exactly the same world, though, it was the same room and he knew there were two other people there, but nothing was the same.

He tried to move and felt the warmth of a body against him. A familiar smell...black cloth, a grip that protected him from the world.

Shadow...he was a cat once again and he was in Snape’s arms, held so firmly against him as he struggled to catch his breath.

If he had been in human form, he would have without a doubt blushed to the tips of his ears. But he was Shadow...

Without thinking anymore, he pushed his nose into the hollow of the man’s arms and, finally safe, succumbed to sleep.

Slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible, the two men left the room and returned to the sitting room.

The cat firmly wedged in his arms, Snape sat by the fireplace. Shadow liked the heat.

Snape knew he wouldn't have been able tolerate seeing the cat suffer, but Potter...no, Harry. He had not expected the pang in his chest when the boy had cried out with his hands pressed to his forehead, before collapsing onto the bed.

Snape had thought for a moment that nothing would work, that he wasn’t' going to be able to hear them calling, and then Snape had let the name slip out... and Potter, for it really was about Harry this time , aware that it was Snape, had responded. He had transformed, thus cutting off the connection with the Dark Lord.

He hadn’t realised that he had grabbed the cat, at the risk of being scratched, but he was almost certain of what he'd seen when Harry had finally regained his awareness... It was definitely Harry who'd had that gleam in his eyes before finally losing consciousness.

Snape sighed. At least he was sleeping peacefully at the moment. The day had been emotional enough, and thank Merlin he had been able to get the cat to eat before Voldemort decided to pay a courtesy call.

“We are, at least, clear on one point,” Snape said calmly. “The Dark Lord is aware that Harry is alive.”

Dumbledore nodded.

“Which is a good thing, in that he will not seek to spread the rumour of his death to the public...but this is what makes Harry’s situation very perilous.”

Snape pondered. Yes, it was... The wards had definitely been destroyed and Voldemort knew it. They were going to have to be doubly cautious. He didn't doubt that the Dark Mark woud call him before the end of the day, and they had to come up with a good story to offer the Dark Lord. Nothing that would truly satisfy him, of course...If he were to learn that he had known where Potter was, things would become seriously complicated.

Dumbledore could not help but be touched as he looked at the professor and the cat. Severus had grabbed Harry as soon as he'd transformed and had kept him in a firm embrace, as though to protect him from any external attack...which was probably the case.

For now, the cat was asleep on his chest, his nose tucked into the robes, all his muscles relaxed. The professor absent-mindedly stroked his fur, his worried expression directedinto the flames of the fire. He had forgotten the headmaster’s presence, all his thoughts occupied by the cat he had named Shadow.

The cat he had saved and to which he had become attached, the boy whose distastrous family life he had unexpectedly learnt of that very day.

“Are you angry with me, Severus ?” asked Dumbledore suddenly.

The professor raised his head, surprised.

“Angry at you ? About Potter ?”

Dumbledore nodded.

Snape wasn’t sure he understood the question, but he was suddenly sure of the answer.

Yes, he was angry with him. Very much so.

But at that moment his forearm started to burn, and his reply was lost in a groan.