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Severus quickly covered his shock by saying "And you do?" Remus simply said "I can't tell you. You will have to find out on your own. But promise me Sev. You know now that Harry never deserved your hatred or contempt." Sev grumped agreement, then said softly "I swear, Remus, that I shall not hurt Harry Potter knowingly." With that promise made, Remus left Severus to his confusion. The Potions Master poured himself a cup of coffee, warmed it with a spell, and drank. He thought to himself I must be going mad.

Harry's breathing quickened as his mind was caught in a web of nightmares. Voldemort turned into Vernon, who proceeded to hurt him. Then the dream turned into an all to familiar style; that of a vision.

~Harry sat on a throne, looking at a half-circle of Death Eaters. He said in a high-pitched voice "Luciusss, come forward." Out of the circle, a masked figure walked sedately. Bowing to Harry, Lucius kissed the skeletal hand. Continuing to speak in that hissing voice "Isss your information correct?"

Nodding, Malfoy Sr. said quietly "There can be no doubt about it. The wards have fallen." Grinning, Harry hissed "Good. Raid the house. Be swift about it, for the fool will have guardsss placed soon enough. If you find anyone alive, bring them back for...questioning." With that last word, Harry laughed; high, cold and cruel, it was a laugh to send shivers down the spine of a demon.~

Jerking awake, Harry sat up straight. Spitting out the sheet that had gotten stuffed in his mouth to prevent his screams from being heard, Harry listened. When he was quite sure that he hadn't woken the Professor, Harry checked the time. It was almost dawn, and much to late to fall back asleep. Getting up, he dressed quickly, groomed himself, and headed downstairs on soft feet.

Finding that he was the first awake, Harry set about making breakfast. Though he could make eggs and bacon, he preferred, oddly enough, porridge. It was simple to make, and the Professor seemed to have more of that food then anything else. After finishing, he served himself and placed a small warming charm on the rest of the cereal.

***

When Severus woke, it was about a half-hour after the dawn. Preparing himself for the day, he wore his usual black robes. Though they seemed to be looser then the Professor's robes. Walking downstairs on soft feet, he was unaware that his guest had done quite the same maybe forty-five minutes before. Thus it came as a great shock to find Potter finishing a bowl of porridge at the kitchen table.

***

Blinking softly, Sev went to get his own bowl of porridge. He found the cereal still warm. Now how could that be? Deciding not to question it just that moment, he sat down at the table and began eating slowly. Potter looked up briefly and said softly "Morning sir." before returning to his breakfast. Which didn't take that long to finish. The Potions Master returned the greeting before watching the boy go to wash his bowl.

***

Turning to Snape, Harry said softly "I'll be upstairs if you need me sir." After the Professor nodded, Harry hurried up the stairs. That had been awkward to say the least. He felt as if something had changed between him and Snape, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. He wasn't one to like change anyway.

Opening the door to his room, Harry went to his trunk. Pulling out his summer homework, he continued what he couldn't finish in Privet Drive. However he soon started dozing, as waking up early made him extremely tired. It didn't help that the essay he was suppose to do was a History of Magic essay and just plain dull. That was how Snape found him, deeply asleep.

Sighing, Severus looked at the essay that was half-finished. Shaking his head, he plucked the quill from the boy's fingers. Cleaning it off with a quick spell, he placed it next to the ink well. Said well he stoppered up so that the child wouldn't knock it over. He then left as quietly as he came. It wouldn't pay to have the child know that he'd been there. Potter might think it odd though that his equipment was put to proper rights though.

***

Harry dreamed again, his voice coming out in a moan of pain each time his face creased. He mumbled in his sleep "Please Uncle Vernon......please don't. I've been good...I've been...good." As the nightmare grew progessively worse, his breath came in shorter and shorter pants, with his pleas becoming more frantic. His hand curled into a fist, totally ruining his essay.

"No...no don't...please...." His eyelids were pressed tightly shut as his voice grew louder. Sweat dribbled down his forehead for all it was a dream he was suffering from. "Please....don't....please...no....No!....NOOO!" The last word was a long drawn out cry that echoed round the room out into the house. From the sitting room the Potions Master's head jerked up, and he jumped to his feet. Dashing for the stairs, he cursed softly that he relaxed at all after what he had seen. He should have realized that the boy would have nightmares! But there was no time to reprimand himself, so he just continued up the stairs to Potter's room.