Harry could only stare at him, frozen.

This had to be a nightmare. Colin could not possibly have said those words. Any second now he would wake up and it would all disappear...the Great Hall filled with people staring at him in shocked disbelief, Dumbledore standing at the far end of the room with his uncharacteristically stormy expression, Colin Creevy beside him pointing to the front page of the Daily Prophet. Yes, any second now Harry would wake up and be safely in his bedroom down in the dungeons.

But he wasn't waking up.

Almost against his will, Harry found himself looking down at the paper that Colin kept waving in front of him.

HARRY POTTER ENSLAVED BY ANCIENT CURSE? screamed the headline. There was a huge photograph of him underneath, an old one from the Triwizard Tournament, though even Harry had to admit that his appearance hadn't changed since then, and then the article.

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, freed the wizarding world from Voldemort's reign of terror, but he may not be free himself. An anonymous source has revealed that young Mr. Potter may be enslaved by a little-known ancient curse. It seems fantastic, but our source claims to have heard the news directly from Mr. Potter himself. It is believed that Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is also involved.

Harry could not bear to read any more. He dragged his gaze from the paper to find the dozens of students and professors still watching him, but now people were beginning to mutter among themselves.

A single voice called out, "Well, Potter, is it true?"

Harry had no idea how to answer. He wasn't even sure if he could still speak. He felt as if he had been turned to stone. But before anyone could say anything else, he felt gentle hands touch his shoulder, his arms.

Ron and Hermione were there.

"Let's get out of here," Ron said in a low voice.

They hurried him out of the Great Hall and through the entrance lobby, one of them on each side, past curious students who were coming to the Great Hall for breakfast, and into a side room with a fireplace. Hermione pulled a small pouch from her bag and tossed some Floo powder in the grate. A moment later they were stepping out into the parlour of the dungeon rooms, Ron and Hermione guiding Harry protectively.

Severus was still finishing his breakfast. He looked up at the interruption.

"Back again? Did you..." Severus broke off as he saw their expressions. He was at their side in an instant. "What is it?"

"Well, sir, I don't know how but..." Ron began.

"They know," Harry whispered. He began to shake, tremors racking his body as he repeated. "Everybody knows."

Severus looked at him intently, his black eyes boring into Harry's, and then comprehension dawned. "Impossible," he breathed.

He slid an arm around Harry's shoulders, pulling him close to his side and walked him over to the sofa. Ron and Hermione trailed behind them. They all sat, Harry and Severus on the sofa and the other two in nearby armchairs.

Harry was still shaking. Ever since he'd become a slave, he had felt as if he'd been cracked into millions of tiny pieces inside, but over the past few months he had begun to feel better, as if strong glue had bound the fragments of his soul together and was gradually erasing the cracks. But now, it was like that glue had suddenly vanished and he felt that he had splintered into those millions of slivers of hurt and shame again.

His father's arm was still about his shoulders, holding him close and Harry turned to bury his face against Severus' side. He couldn't hold back tears any longer and began to weep silently, his tears dampening his father's woolen robes. Severus' arm tightened around him.

"How?" Severus demanded, speaking to Ron and Hermione. His voice was rough, but they all knew he wasn't angry with them.

"I don't know, but Hermione and I were on our way down for breakfast when some other kids came running up to us with a copy of the Daily Prophet. There's an article on the front page about Harry being enslaved by an ancient curse. They asked us if it were true," Ron told him.

"What did you say?" Severus asked.

Ron shook his head. "Nothing. We ran past them and came down to try to find Harry before anyone else did."

Hermione explained next how they had come upon Harry at the entrance to the Great Hall and had brought him home before the situation there had exploded.

"We didn't know what else to do," she finished, watching Severus and Harry with a mixture of sorrow and uncertainty.

Severus only nodded at them. "You did well. Thank you for being there for Harry."

He looked down at his son. "Shh, Harry. Calm yourself. We will get through this." He wrapped his other arm around Harry, too, gently laying his hand on his son's head and carding his fingers through Harry's hair.

But Harry shook his head and repeated brokenly, "Everyone knows."

"We will get through this," Severus said again, more firmly. "You won't have to face it alone. You have me now, and Ron and Hermione of course."

"Ginny will stick with us, too, Harry," Ron spoke up. "And Neville and Luna. I bet lots of kids will."

Harry knew they were right, but even so, everyone would talk and stare and ask questions. And there were bound to be some people who would jeer and make fun. And it wouldn't be only at Hogwarts either. Everyone knew. For the rest of his life now, he would have to deal with people knowing that he was a slave.

He thought of having to go back out into the school, having to face the curious stares, having to listen to the whispers, and worse. Draco Malfoy and his cronies would have a ball, wouldn't they? Harry could imagine the snide mocking comments and the smug superior looks.

He had faced hostile crowds before, but Harry just didn't think he could face this.

He was a slave now.

He had always known that he wasn't as good as others, and despite what Severus said, he couldn't help but feel that the slavery spell made it even worse. He had been thinking about what his father had said last weekend in the infirmary, how he couldn't be worthless when there were people who would give their own lives for him, and it had helped. But that new confidence had been fragile and now it was gone. Just thinking of having to face Malfoy, knowing that he himself was a slave, was unbearable.

If he had ever had Gryffindor courage, Harry felt that it had vanished completely. He wanted to hide down here, where he was safe, and never have to face anyone else again, like an animal that crawled off to lick its wounds.

A memory flashed through Harry's mind of an earlier time when he and his father had discussed how they would handle things if the slavery spell became known.

"I want to go home." Harry pulled back slightly and raised his head to look up at Severus.

Hermione frowned and tilted her head. "But, Harry, you are..."

"I want to go to Prince Hall," Harry clarified.

Ron and Hermione both looked stricken.

"You would leave Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

Severus hesitated before speaking very gently. "Harry, don't you think that would be extreme? We don't know yet how people will react to the news. It's possible that..."

But Harry was simply not able to be reasonable, not about this.

"I want to go home! You promised, Dad. You promised we could if people found out." Harry hated himself for being such a cowardly baby, but he couldn't stop himself from breaking down into wild sobs. Severus pulled him back into a close embrace again and Harry buried his face into his father's chest, sobbing and repeating in choked intervals, "I want to go home. You promised."

Severus' hand curled around the back of Harry's neck, his fingers massaging the tense muscles.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well, Harry. We will return to Prince Hall."

Harry caught his breath. "Really?"

"Yes. I will need to speak with Albus. We will have to make arrangements." Severus glanced over to Ron and Hermione, who were both visibly upset at the news. "You do not have to look so glum. I daresay Albus could be persuaded to allow Harry's friends to visit, providing your own parents agree, of course."

Harry slumped against his father, feeling weak with relief as the knowledge sunk in that they were going home, that he didn't have to face hostile, jeering classmates after all. Gradually his sobs diminished and he flushed with embarrassment as he realized how he had carried on so, but he was with his family. Surely they wouldn't judge him harshly.

He finally sat up, dragging his sleeve across his eyes. "When can we leave?"

Severus considered. "I shall have to speak with Albus, as I said, and we'll need to pack our personal belongings. But I imagine we could leave by evening."

As if on cue, the Floo came to life again and they all turned to see Dumbledore's head floating in the fireplace. He looked tired and unhappy, most un-Dumbledore-like, and his voice was heavy.

"Harry, I am so sorry. Severus, I assume you have heard the news. We need to talk, I think, though I realize this may be a bad time. Let me know when your earliest convenience is, if you don't mind."

"As a matter of fact, Albus, I think now would be a good time." Severus glanced down at Harry, who nodded silently.

"Very well, then. I'll come on through." Dumbledore's head disappeared. Green flames flared high and then the headmaster stepped into the parlour.

He came straight over to Harry and actually kneeled before him. "Harry, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Harry tried to smile at him, though he knew it would be obvious that he had been crying. His eyes felt swollen and he knew there would be tear tracks on his face. "I don't think so, sir."

Severus disagreed. "Actually, Albus, you might well be able to assist us. But first you need to know that Harry and I will be leaving for Prince Hall today."

Dumbledore nodded. "When will you return?"

"That will be up to Harry," Severus replied, raising a questioning eyebrow at his son.

Harry shook his head. "Never."

Dumbledore blinked and then said, "Harry, you can't run away from your troubles, and what about your education?"

Harry felt a bubble of panic well up in his chest. "I want to go home and I don't ever want to leave!" He turned to Severus with a wild desperate expression.

Severus reached for his hands, holding them firmly. "Harry, calm yourself. We are going home and no one will make you leave against your will. All right?"

Harry drew a shaky breath and slowly nodded, trying to regain the tenuous control he had over his emotions.

Dumbledore seemed a bit shaken himself, watching Harry with a troubled expression, but Severus gave him a fierce look, silently warning him not to press the matter, and said, "Albus, why don't you take a seat? We have a lot to discuss."

The headmaster drew himself together and said, "Of course."

"Perhaps Harry and his friends could begin packing up his belongings," Severus suggested, looking over to where Ron and Hermione had been sitting quietly.

The teens started to stand, but Dumbledore stopped them. "One moment, please, before you go, Harry. I had a question if you don't mind. The article says that this anonymous source who leaked the news heard about the spell directly from you. Now, I don't believe for one moment that any of your closest friends would do such a thing, so do you have any idea what that reference means?"

Harry sighed. "It's probably because I kind of blurted it out in the infirmary last weekend."

"What?" Severus and Dumbledore spoke together.

So he explained how he had spoken without thinking when he had been alone with his friends. "But Ron checked and didn't see anyone there so we didn't think anything else about it," Harry finished.

Dumbledore leaned closer to Harry, peering at him intently. "Harry, think carefully about the exact words you spoke. Did you mention that the slavery spell was an ancient curse?"

Harry shook his head. "No, sir. I just said that I hated being a slave and that playing Quidditch helped me feel better."

"Thank you, Harry. If you wish to go and pack now, you may. And Harry, I am very sorry. I know this situation is difficult for you, but remember that there are many people who care for you and want to help," Dumbledore told him.

"Thank you, sir," Harry mumbled. He shot an uncertain glance towards Ron and Hermione, thinking of how he had cried and pleaded in front of them and still feeling embarrassed about it. But Hermione came and wrapped her arm around his waist while Ron slung his arm about Harry's shoulders and they went off to his room together.

***

Severus watched them leave the room with concern. The only other time he had seen Harry so upset had been right after his suicide attempt, and Severus couldn't help but be deeply worried over how these new circumstances would affect him.

But he didn't really think Harry would do something like that again. Harry had promised not to. He knew that he was loved, that he didn't have to be alone anymore. Still, Severus made up his mind that he would discuss the issue with Harry that very evening and would keep a close watch over him.

Albus interrupted his thoughts.

"Severus," the headmaster said in a low voice. "Do you really believe that allowing Harry to hide at Prince Hall is the best way to handle things?"

Severus turned back to see Albus looking concerned as well. He sighed and admitted, "I don't know, Albus. But I did tell Harry once that we could return there if people ever found out about the slavery spell, and he was absolutely distraught earlier. It frightened me."

Severus hesitated before leaning close and speaking so quietly that Albus also had to lean forward to hear him.

"Albus, I'm not sure you really understand how painful this slavery spell is for Harry. He struggled with severe depression this summer. He even attempted suicide over it. Fortunately, I caught him in time and well, the fact that we learned to care for one another helped Harry through that. But he has been so worried about people discovering the spell. It's been a great fear. And now, today, he was so upset. I was afraid for him."

Albus had grown pale. He slowly shook his head. "You are right, Severus. I knew that Harry was hurting, especially in the beginning, but I didn't imagine him trying to hurt himself over it. Do you think he will attempt such a thing again?"

"I don't believe so," Severus said slowly. "But I am going to talk with Harry privately and I will be vigilant in caring for him. There is another reason I decided to take Harry home, and that is because we adults have failed him too often in the past. He needs to know that he can indeed depend on me to keep my word, to actually do something to help him."

"Yes, I can see that. I'm just concerned for the both of you, and I am not certain that running off to Prince Hall is going to be the best solution for Harry in the long run," Albus said.

"I am not certain either, Albus, but for right now that is the path we going to take." Severus sat up straight again. "I have not actually seen the article. Do you happen to have a copy?"

Albus pulled a newspaper from a pocket of his blue robes, handed it over, and waited in silence while Severus read. When he had finished, Severus allowed himself a rare slip of temper and swore as he tossed it onto a side table.

Then he looked at Albus. "Draco Malfoy."

"I believe so," the headmaster agreed. "If someone else had overheard Harry in the infirmary, that person would have known that he was a slave, but not that it was the result of a rare ancient curse. I believe Mr. Malfoy is the only one who would have realized that aspect of the situation."

Severus swore again. "Harry has just come out of that dark pit he was in all summer. If Draco Malfoy has pushed him back into it, I will not be responsible for my actions, Albus."

"Well, I was considering having you, and possibly Harry, present while I discussed the matter with Mr. Malfoy, but if you do not feel able to control your actions, perhaps it would not be wise," Albus remarked.

Severus turned to him, dark eyes glittering. "When?"

"There's no time like the present. In fact, Mr. Malfoy is waiting in my office as we speak," Albus replied.

Severus abruptly stood and swung around towards his son's room. "Harry?"

Harry and his friends came out. Harry seemed calmer, though still subdued. "Yes, Dad?"

Severus explained that he and Albus believed that Draco Malfoy had been the one to contact the paper and that Albus had suggested Harry might want to be present while they questioned him.

Harry looked doubtful. "Me?"

"At the very least, Mr. Malfoy owes you an apology," the headmaster explained. "And as much as he has hurt you, I believe you have a right to be present if you wish, Harry."

Harry looked at Severus. "Do you think I should be there?"

"That is your decision, Harry."

Harry turned to his friends. Hermione gave a small shrug, but Ron said, "I think you should go. Malfoy ought to have to get down on his knees and beg your forgiveness."

Harry sighed. "I don't know."

Albus stood up. "Perhaps a compromise. A small private sitting room adjoins my office, Harry. You could wait there while your father and I talk with Mr. Malfoy and if you wish to come out to my office at some point, then you may."

After a moment, Harry nodded. "All right."

They moved towards the fireplace when Hermione spoke. "Sir? What should Ron and I tell people? Everyone is going to ask us about that article."

Severus reached to rest his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I wish we could deny it, but I doubt that's a possibility at this point. If we say the article is untrue and Draco Malfoy provided Pensieved memories or spoke under veritiserum, then we're proven to be liars. I don't think we want that."

"So we should tell people the truth?" Ron asked.

They all looked at Harry, who finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." He tried to console himself with the knowledge that it didn't really matter what anyone else thought. He was going back to Prince Hall and wouldn't have to deal with the public anyway.

Ron and Hermione nodded and stepped close to Harry.

"Will we see you again before you leave?" Hermione asked.

Harry glanced at his father who nodded. "We will need to finish packing. Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, if you want to come back in a couple of hours, we should be here then."

The three teens hesitated and then hugged one another tightly.

"Thanks," Harry whispered to them.

Then one by one they Flooed away, Ron and Hermione returning to the Gryffindor common room while Harry, Severus, and Dumbledore went to the private sitting room by his office.

***

Dumbledore's sitting room was small, but warm and cozy, beautifully decorated in crimson and gold. But Harry paid no attention to his surroundings. He was too busy listening to the conversation in the next room where Dumbledore and Severus were questioning Draco Malfoy.

"I didn't speak to anyone. It wasn't me. You can't prove anything," the Slytherin boy tried to sound outraged, but even Harry could hear the guilt in his voice.

"Are you forgetting my skills as a Legilimens, Mr. Malfoy?" Severus inquired coldly.

"You have no right! It's illegal to use Legilimency on minors!" Draco's voice rose.

"It is also illegal to cast unknown spells on an innocent victim," Severus retorted. "But as a matter of fact, I have not used Legilimency on you. I can see that you're lying by the look on your face. I can hear it in your voice. You've always been a terrible liar, Mr. Malfoy."

There was a silence and then Draco blustered, "Well, even if I did speak to Skeeter, there's nothing you can do about that. It's not illegal to report what I heard. It's not even against Hogwarts' rules."

"You are correct, Mr. Malfoy. Though I find your deliberate cruelty reprehensible, you have done nothing illegal...this time," Dumbledore's voice was quiet, but cold. "However, as Professor Snape pointed out, casting the spell against Harry in the first place was illegal. And as his guardian, Professor Snape would be well within his rights to press criminal charges against you."

"Criminal charges? But..." Draco faltered, sounding much less certain of himself. "But you've already punished me for that. You've taken everything away!"

"We've scarcely taken anything from you, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied. "You have your home, your money, and most importantly, your freedom. You had a future filled with choices. Yes, you have lost some privileges at school, but we have treated this situation as a school matter...until now."

"We did so to protect Harry's secret from the public," Dumbledore continued. "But there is no longer any reason to worry about that, is there, Mr. Malfoy?"

"You foolish boy, did you not understand that in harming Harry, you also destroyed your own protection?" Severus chimed in.

There was a long silence.

Draco finally broke it by saying, "But I didn't know it was a slavery spell when I cast it."

"All the more reason you should never cast an unknown spell!" Severus' voice was controlled but forceful. "What if it had been fatal? What if it had been something similar to the cruciatus curse?"

Another silence before Draco repeated in an even smaller voice. "I didn't know."

"What would you have done if you had known?" Dumbledore asked. "Would you have still cast it against Harry? Would you have still enslaved him?"

"No, I...I don't think so," Draco answered.

"You don't know for certain?" Severus demanded.

At the same time Dumbledore said, "I would like to think that you would not knowingly have done such a terrible thing, Mr. Malfoy, but your recent actions have caused me to wonder. You may not have known that you were casting a slavery spell on Harry at the time, but once you found out the first thing you did was to hurt and humiliate him further."

"But he stole everything from me!" Draco burst out.

Harry expected him to go on about losing his Quidditch position or prefect status. He was surprised when Draco, presumably speaking to Severus, continued in a voice that was choked with emotion, "He stole you, Severus. You used to care about me, and now you won't even call me by my name. It's always ‘Mr. Malfoy' now, and you're always so angry with me, even when I didn't do anything. Oh, I know why now, but it didn't used to be like that. You used to hate Potter too. You used to ignore it when we fought. If anything, you were always on my side."

"Yeah, it was stupid of me to cast that spell against Potter, and I guess it was stupid to go to Skeeter about it, but I needed you, Severus, and you hate me. You hate me, and I needed you."

To Harry's shock, Draco broke down into sobs, making his next words hard to understand.

"My mother...she's...she's dead. She's dead! Death Eaters killed her, and I saw it! I saw them kill her."