Albus had been gone most of Wednesday, and returned to Hogwarts late in the evening. He perused some paperwork and did not notice the changing color of a crystal paperweight immediately. The usual green color had gone yellow, and then cycled into the orange spectrum - never quite going red. The flickering finally caught his attention and he sat up straighter - something was wrong at Privet Drive.

Albus hustled through the his office floo to the Leaky Cauldron and apparated to an alleyway near the Dursley home. What could have happened? Leaving Harry Potter with Petunia and her family had been the best choice - he would grow up strong, not spoiled or coddled. He'd been concerned when Vernon had gotten heavy-handed, but a few slaps wouldn't kill the lad. He's made himself clear to the muggle - no more of that, and sent money to keep them sweet. Albus shook his head - his own mother had shown him the business end of a wooden spoon more than once...it wasn't like the lad was being abused.

He couldn't have left Harry Potter with a wizarding family - he would grow up pampered and not be willing to do what must be done...the prophecy was clear. Harry Potter had to destroy Lord Voldemort, no weakling could do that. He would have raised him, himself - but he was so very busy. Albus grimaced uncomfortably, knowing what he did he certainly didn't want to get attached to the boy and if he had raised him he might have found himself reluctant to let the boy meet his fate.

He glamored his clothing to look muggle and approached the house cautiously, there was an alarming amount of ‘crime scene' tape around the place. He used a disillusionment spell and entered the house. He searched carefully, but no one was there, and there was a large pool of blood in the living room, a hasty spell showed it belonged to Petunia Dursley. He cursed under his breath, what could have happened? A break-in perhaps?

Albus hustled down the street to Arabella Figg - she was supposed to keep an eye on Harry Potter. She had notified him when the Children's Services had tried to interfere that once. She wasn't home - she was visiting a sister this summer, he now remembered. He huffed in annoyance.

Albus left the house wondering what to do next. He looked around at the nearby houses; they would likely know what had happened. He hesitantly went to the next house and knocked on the door. Albus smiled as benignly as possible at the man answering.

"I am a friend of the Dursley's - I just found out that something happened there - could you tell me what happened?" Albus tried to read the muggle's thoughts, but they were a jumble of anger at Vernon, shock at the violence and suspicion that Albus was a member of the press.

"All I know is what I told the police. That rat Vernon was abusing his nephew all this time - beating and starving him, and then he turned on his son as well. Apparently shot his wife. Now we've heard he died in a car smash trying to get away - heard he was drunk." The muggle glared at Albus' stunned face.

"An..and the boys?" Albus asked hesitantly.

"No one knows where they are." The muggle closed the door.

Albus slowly walked down the street, telling himself there must be a mistake. He wanted Harry Potter tough, not broken. His temper flared. Damn that muggle, ruining his plans - he'd made himself clear; Vernon was not to repeat his mistake. Yet here he was, trying to clean up a horrendous mess. He would need to track down Petunia first, apparently. She might know where Harry Potter went.

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Harry and Dudley arrived in Birmingham late - almost midnight. There had been a brief stop and they had grabbed some take away there, although neither had much appetite. They approached the one ticket office still open in the Birmingham terminal and got tickets for Liverpool - there was a late bus running that would have them there by early morning.

The ticket lady had looked the youngsters over cautiously, taking in their bruised faces and their obvious desperation. She had gone ahead with the sale, hoping she was doing the right thing.

Harry and Dudley boarded the mostly empty bus and slept fitfully all the way to Liverpool. They unloaded at their stop just as dawn was breaking, and wandered to where taxis were waiting for fares. Harry eyed the line up of cabbies and pulled Dudley over to a taxi with an elderly driver. Harry had dug through their money and had two large bills at the ready.

"We need to get to the town of Hale, as quickly as we can." Harry said firmly.

They cabby looked them over, "That's a long way, laddie."

Harry held up the notes, making the cabby's eyes pop. "One now, one when we get there." The cabby nodded and Harry handed him one of the notes. The boys got in and they were on their way. The journey seemed endless, and Dudley appeared to still be in shock. Harry kept his resolve firm, he could do this - they were almost there, and they hadn't been caught.

Turk was unlikely to give them up - it would look bad on him as well. They couldn't be traced from London unless Turk told that he had bought the tickets. Of course they had used the ATM card there, but Turk had done the ticket buying for them, so they wouldn't know where they had gone. The ticket lady in Birmingham might remember them, but they would have to know they had gone there, first. Even if they traced them to Liverpool, they would have to find the one cab out of the hundred that they had taken. Harry knew that some investigators could be persistent, and of course they may be video cameras - but he had done his best to lay a confusing trail.

Harry checked the directions Aunt Petunia had laid out about the town of Hale. He had the cabby pull over a street up from Spinners End, and the pair stumbled out. Harry gave the other note to the cab driver, and the man peered at the bruised and saddened faces and said ‘good luck' as he drove off.

It was late in the morning as they made their way down the row of houses on the river. Harry looked at the grim brick buildings and reflected that this area was well - named as the Dungeon Banks. They reached the very last house. This was it. They walked up to the door, and Harry knocked on it with his heart in his mouth.

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It was past midnight when Albus had finally gotten into Petunia's intensive care room. He simply wasn't as versed in wandering in the muggle world as he liked to think. He had overheard the doctors say that Petunia had seemed to rally a bit after the surgery, but the bleeding still persisted and there wasn't much hope. Albus' heart sank as he realized the injury was one they had no hope of healing with magic.

Blast, he needed Petunia for the warding - however, Petunias son was also of Lily's blood. He could ward Harry Potter as well. With the parents dead the Dursley boy would likely be taken in by relatives. Vernon had a sister if Albus remembered right. She could likely be bribed into taking Harry as well, and letting Albus cast the blood wards.

He just needed to find the boys. He cast an enervate at Petunia and watched her slowly wake.

"Petunia, my dear, whatever happened? Where are your son and Harry?" Albus asked urgently.

Petunia heard Albus' voice with dread; she had known that he would surface with this debacle. She hoped Harry and Dudley got safely to Severus'. She recalled Lily telling about the wizard method of mind-reading, and how she had to avoid locking eyes with certain other students, because she was sure they knew how.

Petunia carefully kept her eyes averted as she replied, trying to appear willing to answer his question. "I sent them to a friend's house, they'll be safe there." She hoped he would be satisfied with that.

"Who, Petunia? I need to know who has them." Albus asked impatiently.

Petunia considered her options with dismay, and decided to go with unconsciousness.

Albus huffed in aggravation, and left. Muggles could be so fragile. He couldn't involve the Aurors - the ministry would snatch the ‘Boy Who Lived' in a trice. He hated to involve the Order more than necessary - they would ask too many questions, and he didn't have any good answers. How could Vernon have turned out to be such a violent beast?

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Severus was up with the sun, and ate just enough to keep the elf off his back. He sat, drinking cup after cup of hideously strong coffee. He didn't even pretend to read his research notes. If Harry and Dudley weren't here by noon, he and Lucius would start the search. His mind was a bit blank as to how to do that.

There was a sudden knock on the door, making his over-caffeinated nerves jump. He sprang to the door and opened it, taking in the sight of two boys. His eyes flew to the smaller ones familiar green eyes, and almost wept with relief. Lily's son was safe. He felt his face move into an unfamiliar shape - a smile - it had been awhile since he had had anything to truly smile about.

"Please come in, I am very glad to finally meet you, Harry Potter. And you as well Dudley Dursley." Severus drew the door open wide, and let them in.

"Thank You, sir." Harry was relieved; apparently Mr. Snape wasn't angry that they hadn't waited for them at Privet Drive. "Aunt Petunia told us to come here, like we planned." Dudley gasped a sob at the mention of his mother. Severus looked alarmed and handed the boy a vial of something.

"It's a calming draught; I daresay you need it after the trauma you've endured." Severus gave the boy as sympathetic a look as he could muster. "I saw your mother yesterday, she was alive, but in truth she is not doing well." The boys nodded - they had expected as much.

Dudley downed the potion without hesitation and got a rather odd look on his face, just before slumping over. Harry looked alarmed. "Was he supposed to do that, sir?"

"He likely has felt so stressed, that the sudden relief made him faint. He'll likely sleep for hours - I'll take him up to the spare bedroom." Severus waved his wand, and levitated the boy up the stairs. He felt a bit of smugness at Harry's gasp of awe, and look of utter admiration. Harry followed him up carrying Dudley's overstuffed duffle bag, and sat it by the bed Dudley now occupied.

Severus and Harry wandered back downstairs and sat at the small table, and Severus summoned Tinker. Harry yelped in surprise, frightening the elf. Severus introduced Harry and the elf. Tinker was, of course ecstatic to be serving Harry Potter. Tinker's duties were explained, and Harry ordered some sandwiches and juice. Severus watched the hungry boy eat and considered the now spectacular bruise on Harry's face, it needed to be healed. He narrowed his eyes - but first he needed the abuse recorded. There were ways to chart injuries that had occurred in the past, and that would be done as well, but it was always better to have a healer see something like this, themselves.

"I'm going to call a friend over who will be helping us with legalities. He helped me furnish the place we'll be living at." Severus had resigned himself to the idea that he would likely be living at the Dragon Reserve with the boys at least until Petunia recovered, and if she died - permanently. He didn't mind the change. He had clung to Spinners End long enough.

"With the dragons? Dudley really wants to see those." Harry perked up considerably at the thought of dragons. Severus nodded with a smile, Petunia had been right that the boys would be pleased with the dragons.

Severus flooed to Malfoy Manor and informed the very relieved Lucius that Harry and Dudley had arrived safely. Lucius stepped through, and brushed off the soot. Harry had finished eating, and went over to stare at the fire that the wizard had come through. They had read about flooing, and firecalling, but it was still amazing to see it done the first time. He couldn't wait to tell Dudley.

"Lucius may I introduce you to my new ward, Harry Potter. Harry this is my friend Lucius Malfoy." Severus made the introduction, hoping things would go well. Lucius was always unpredictable, and Harry was an unknown factor.

"Very honored to meet you Mr. Malfoy." Harry said in his most polite tones. Aunt Petunia had told him she had given Mr. Snape the guardianship papers when he visited. He thought it was brilliant that the man seemed proud of Harry being his ward. The Dursleys had always hidden him, and acted ashamed to have him around.

"Very pleased to meet you as well, Mr. Potter." Lucius looked him over with interest. The scar was mostly hidden by the messy hair. He narrowed his eyes at the bruise. The nerve!, that a brutish muggle would dare strike a wizarding child. Harry seemed well mannered and was looking at him with interest, but no awe, as many did. An ally well worth cultivating, then.

"My guardian said you were helping us, I want to thank you for that." Harry said quite seriously, impressing both Lucius and Severus further.

"You are very welcome, Harry. My son, Draco, is your age and is a bit jealous that you will be living close to dragons. He's quite taken with the creatures." Lucius answered with a smile.

Harry beamed back at the man. Mr. Malfoy had a son - a potential friend who would know all about the wizarding world.

"I believe we will need the services of a discrete healer that will be listened to at any legal proceedings, and perhaps a lawyer." Severus intoned. Lucius raised an eyebrow, and nodded and moved to the floo and called the lawyer, and spoke to a very pricey and discrete healer's office.

Severus was soon playing host to Lucius Malfoy's personal lawyer and a Healer who had brought along a motherly mediwitch who tutted and fussed over a squirming Harry.

"We need evidence, in case someone tries to say the lad was not subject to physical abuse." Severus explained to the Healer. "And I need to know if there is any damage needing repair - I know he wasn't fed well..." The Healer nodded in understanding. The bruise was carefully recorded, and a spell cast to record any injuries and the general state of the health of the boy in the past.

The healer and the mediwitch looked at the parchment that had recorded the spell. They frowned and glared at Severus.

"He just came into my care this morning." He said in chilly defense at their unspoken accusation.

"Well...he's had a few broken bones, but the number of bruises he's received from beatings are so numerous that they are just recorded in numbers per month. His state of malnutrition is worrisome; you'll be needing to see to nutritional potions." The healer looked aggravated that there was no one to yell at.

"The spell actually shows that the bruises are from beatings?" The lawyer looked gratified at that, as he perused the guardianship papers Severus had produced for him. Harry had dug out the papers for Dudley from the Goblin bag, and given them to the lawyer, as well.

Lucius read some of the list on the parchment over the Healers shoulder, and paled a bit. He then glared out the window, wondering if it would be possible to smuggle Harry's uncle into Azkaban and toss him into Bellatrix's cell along with a few sharp knives.

The mediwitch looked around, "You said there was another boy to be looked at, Professor Snape."

"Yes, he's upstairs sleeping." At her look of anxiety he explained a bit coldly. "He was in shock from having witnessed his father shooting his mother with a muggle gun." The mediwitch and healer looked horror-stricken at that. "I, of course, immediately dosed him with a calming draught." He did tire of people assuming the worst of him.

The mediwitch nodded, unfazed by his irritation. She trotted upstairs to take care of Dudley. She returned after recording and healing him. "Great Scot! He's a good 40 pounds overweight. They both are in need of healthier diets."

"Yes, I am aware of that. My house elf will be given strict instructions." Severus answered resignedly.

The healer and mediwitch finally finished up, after they spelled his glasses to fit his eyes better. The healer muttered about shoddy work. Harry looked around in amazement, and Severus snorted. Apparently the eye prescription had been very out of date. The healer gave copies of the parchments to the lawyer and Severus agreed to take the boys to see him again in a few weeks. They were soon gone, leaving just the lawyer.

"Well, how do you see this playing out?" Lucius asked hardly. The answer had better be good.