Harry closed the door quietly before turning to walk to the sidewalk. He was dressed in his over-sized shirt and jeans, but he wore a black leather vest with red/gold trim around the edges. Gawd, but the payback had been horrible. At least this past week Vernon had laid off of him. But it was time to do the Run again. Grumbling softly, the boy quickly slipped out of the wards and down the street.

He knew that he was followed by guards. He also knew that they were weak in trying to keep up with him when he was doing his Run. He thought to himself 'Why don't they check inside my supposed safe place? Why follow me to the only place where I have a chance to fight!' Harry's mood was low, and he was sore all over. He just hoped that the Run would go okay.

***

Severus shadowed the child, eyes glinting slightly. A week he had been on the job, and Potter hadn't left his house. But now he would try and find out why Albus had assigned him to watch the brat. He still remembered the meeting last week:

~ "You can't be serious, Albus!" Severus had shouted. Unfortunately the Headmaster was. The Greatest Wizard since the Founder's days was worried. He said Harry had been vanishing once a week down unknown streets. The regular guards hadn't been able to keep up with him. So he told Severus to watch, and see what was going on.~

The Potion's Master had kept the assignment, but didn't like it. He had better things to do then to guard the bloody Boy Who Lived. He was brought out of his thoughts by Potter turning at a particular intersection. It led down a slimy alley-way to a tavern that looked half-way abandoned. Only the seediest of people entered there. Surprisingly, the boy went in the tavern. Quickly following before the door shut in his face, he was grateful that none could see through his spells.

***

Harry walked into The Runner's Gathering silently. Looking around, he spotted his Muggle clients. Heading for the bar, he slapped down the required price while stating "The usual, Grymm." The oddly named bartender gave him the honey mead. Taking his drink, he headed over to where the clients were sitting. Taking a seat, he sipped at his drinks.

The Muggle watched him for a few minutes, before asking "Do you have the delivery, Shade?" Harry nodded, and continued drinking his liquor. His client watched him impatiently. It wasn't too long before Harry finished and said "Ten, Skythe, and not a pence less." Skythe hissed, and bickered with Harry for awhile before handing him the money. The items bought, Harry handed over the packages to the Muggle. He then got up and left, feeling he had got a good deal for such a weak substance.

The Wizard drugs were harder to bargain though, and he ended up with half the amount he asked for. Sighing he headed 'home', making sure never to turn his back on the shadows. When he got there, his Uncle was waiting. Handing over the Muggle money, he went up to his room to deposit the Galleons he had gotten that day into his savings. He then went to his wardrobe and poured himself a fingerful of the Wizard's Rain he had made. It numbed the pain enough that he could sleep, able to ignore his empty stomach.

***

Severus sat by the tree in the Dursley's yard, stunned at what he had witnessed. Not only was the Potter boy drinking, at such a young age, but he was a drug dealer as well. And a very shrewd one to boot. Shade...that's what the Muggle had called him. Curious, Severus continued watching for a few more days. Unfortunately he was called to a Death Eater meeting. Had he known that it was Mudungus' watch that night, he might not have, for trouble happened.

***

Harry blinked, surprised to see Dudley so near his Run. He met up with the other boy, and they began talking. It was surprising that his once-bully could have changed so much. Maybe it was because Vernon had been looking at Dudley with the same look he gave Harry. Whatever the reason, it was nice that they could talk without fighting overly much.

Suddenly the air grew chill, and the lights began to flicker. Dudley looked scared, but could see that Harry didn't have his wand drawn...yet. Harry breathed "No...no, not here!" He felt around in his pocket for his wand. By the time he had it out, however, Dudley had begun to run.

That's when they descended. The awful cloaked figures that smelt like death, their hands scabby and grotesquie. The Dementors, who could only be fought off by one thing. Trying to think up a happy memory, he cast the spell numerous times before finally managing to produce his stag Patronus. Just in time, as Dudley was at the mercy of one Dementor. After the creatures fled, he helped his cousin up. He wouldn't be able to make it back home on his own, so Harry proceeded to half-drag half-carry him. He was confronted by Arabella Figg, who escorted him home all the while cursing 'Dung'.

After they reached Number Four, things became confused for awhile. The only thing that mattered was that he could keep his wand till the fifth of August, and his room until he was picked up. Harry passed two days from the Dementor Event in a daze. On the second day he was dozing when he was startled out of the dream he was caught in, by the car starting. Leaping up, he checked the window. Seeing that it was only Petunia and Dudley leaving that day, he muttered "Shit."

It wasn't long before the locks slammed open and the door to his room was flung open with a bang. In the door stood his livid Uncle, who was stuttering in his rage "B-b-boy, you are g-g-going to p-p-pay for what nearly happened to D-D-Dudley!" Before Harry quite knew what happened, he was flung on his bed with Vernon following. The pain that came next was so sudden and vicious that Harry couldn't help but cry out.

***

Severus cursed softly, watching the house that had Potter in it. Trust 'Dung to mess it up bad. Now he would have to keep a better eye on the brat. He was sitting down on a root that was sticking out of the tree in the yard, just waiting for something to happen. And happen it did. The female and young male were seen off by the adult male, who proceeded to go into the house. Curious, Severus got up to investigate. Only to have the door slam in his face.

Steaming, he drew his wand but hesitated. He didn't want to seem to be invading if the wards were still up. However, the scream decided him, and the Potion's Master did everything to open the door. By the time he did, Number Four had grown deathly quiet. Moving cat-like up the stairs, Severus stopped as a door opened...a door with a row of locks down them. From the room the adult he saw outside came out. Severus sucked in his breath as he saw the state of the man's clothes. As Vernon locked the doors, the Ex-Death Eater was stalking up behind him. Idiot that the whale was, he didn't notice until he felt something jabbing him in the back.

"Open the door. Now." said a chill voice. Vernon hesitated for a second, but quickly opened the locks as he was jabbed harder. Pushing the man aside, Sev whispered before entering the room "Don't think I'm done with you, Dursley." The color drained from the whale's face, and Vernon began edging away as soon as he wasn't being watched. Much the worse for him, as the wizard he was fleeing from had sharp senses. After stunning the tub of lard, Severus turned back to opening the door.

When he did, he wished he had done more then stun Dursley. Harry was sitting next to his small wardrobe, a bottle in one hand, shot glass in the other. His bed was soaked in blood on the lower portion, and a quick look at the boy confirmed there was blood in the same spot. Potter's glazed eyes looked up at his Potion's Professor, and he said in a slurred voice "Pr'fsser Shnape?"

Sighing, Severus murmured under his breath "Oh Potter...." before moving to the child. Taking the bottle, he put a stopper in it before putting it down. Then fishing in his robes, he found a light blue potion. He opened it and held it against the boy's lips while saying "Drink." Harry did so, and was soon fast asleep. The Potion's Master stalked out of the room, his cloak billowing out behind him. With his wand held in one hand, pointed outwards infront of him, he looked for all the world like an Avenging Angel.

Aiming at the unconscious Vernon, he snarled "Vengance lucis super vos (Vengence of light upon you)" Satisfied that the bastard wasn't going to get away with his crimes, he sent a message to the Order before returning to Potter. Collecting the few things the boy had and storing them in the trunk, he shrunk said trunk and put it in a spare pocket. He then took the boy in his arms, and Apparated away to the safest place he knew of just then. The living room of Snape Manor.