'I'm sorry, what did you say?' Natalie frowned at the woman.

'This is an orphanage, for children without parents who are seeking new ones.' The squib assumed that this woman was either regretful about leaving a child there and wanted him back, was mistaken, or else her child had somehow (however unlikely it would be), been wrongly place into their care.

The strange part was that Natalie felt she should know that name, “Harry Potter”. But she did not. Her memory of such a child was gone; taken from her mind by the magical tip of a wand many years ago.

Erin knew this woman wasn't telling the truth and yet she appeared to believe in the words she was saying. She scowled at Natalie but had a feeling that she wasn't going to get far with this woman.

Sighing, she nodded defectively and turned to cross the room as she thought out another strategy. The wall she stared at was dull and provided her with no motivation, only a large, aged photograph to stare out that hung in a frame on the wall.

Leaning closer, Erin saw the long rows of boys of various ages but none older than nine. With a startled gasp, she recognized the pair of green eyes she adored as well as the dark hair and the most angelic smile she could never forget. It was her little boy...it was Harry!

'Is there a problem?' Natalie asked from the counter as she heard the woman's surprised gust of air and noticed the way Erin was clutching to her chest as though she was struggling to breathe for a moment.

'No. nothing.' Erin waved her off as her gaze trailed along the names beneath the image. She knew the year was right, although she checked three times to ensure it was really him...the name was wasn't right. It said Cody Evans and yet there wasn't the slightest mistake as to who that young boy really was.

And suddenly, all her years of failure began to make perfect sense. She had been unable to find harry Potter because as far as the world knew...that was no longer his name. Cody Evans, he was called instead and Erin's motivation had been found.

Spinning around to grin at the suspicious lady at the counter, Erin took broad steps towards her and thought on how to word her phrase.

'The boy in the picture, Cody Evans...what happened to him?' Erin wondered.

Natalie was going to ask why it was nay of her business, but considering that a few of those children were still up for adoption, it might be beneficial to give this woman answers because she may decide to claim one of the children.

'Cody Evans, let's see...' Natalie navigated the database and frowned.

'Hm, that's strange. He's not listed.' She said.

'Okay, I understand.' Erin nodded quickly. 'Thank you.'

She dashed from the building and quickly got into her car. She started the engine and sped around the nearest corner before she stopped and gasped for air.

The file was gone, and the woman who had last seen Harry as Harry Potter had no memory of him...Erin knew her mother must have involved herself somewhere along the line.

A fury built up inside Erin as she clenched the steering wheel with her hands and glared straight ahead. How dare she! Erin growled like a feral animal as she thought of all the vile and torturous things she wished she could do to that awful beast of a being.

As her rage continued to build, Erin almost missed the incident that followed; a tree was seemingly struck by lightening, based on the fact that it snapped in two and fell onto the road a few meters from the front of Erin's car.

She sat there and stared at it for a long moment before she opened her door and glanced upwards at the sky. It was clear blue with no a single cloud in sight.

'How odd.' Erin commented before she forced her mind back to the pressing matters at hand; she had to find her son. Or rather, some record of a boy named "Cody Evans".

A heart-breaking wail broke the silence of Spinner's End at seven-thirty that same morning. Severus was already awake but nearly smacked his head against the kitchen cupboards when he heard the sudden sound.

Concerned and a little annoyed, he clutched his wand and shoved it into the pocket of his robes before he rushed upstairs and found Harry sitting upright in his bed, tears streaking his face as he trembled with fear.

'What is the matter with you?' Severus demanded to know but was deeply concerned with the sight he saw before him.

'I-I...' Harry shivered as he remembered the green flash of light, the coldness of being pulled from Erin's arms as she sobbed, the glares cast his way by his previous guardians and than the shouts of Simon as he threatened worst that a boy could fear.

'A nightmare.' Severus sighed with realization and nodded.

'Alright, up you get. Wash your face in the bathroom and get dressed into your school clothes.' He instructed.

Harry swallowed and turned towards his left to see a chair beside his bed where his school pants and shirt sat folded atop it. His schoolbag was hanging on the back of the chair also and he could see his assignment sticking out of it somewhat.

'I don't wanna go to school.' Harry shivered again although he wasn't at all cold. 'What if they find me there?' He panicked.

'So such thing shall occur.' Severus stated calmly. 'I have already spoken with the headmaster at your school and I will pick you up the moment the final bell rings, understood?'

Actually he was lying. Severus had placed several charms on the boy so that any adult who recognized the boy would fail to notice him.

Also, he made sure that the school no longer had any record of a Cody Evans living with Emile or Simon, therefore if by some unlikely chance they did demand the boy, the school would dutifully refuse.

Although they had made their intentions clear that night; the moving van was already outside the house across the street that precise moment.

'Are you sure?' Harry whispered, obviously scared that if he so much of left his bed than someone awful would happen to him.

'I do not have time for this useless dawdling.' Severus sighed. 'Get up. Get dressed. And join me downstairs for breakfast. Now.' And with that final statement, he turned and left the trembling boy's room.

Harry's eyes were wide as he wondered the consequences of not following that order. He usually did whatever he was told but it felt much safer to just bury himself under the covers of his newest bed and pretend away the scary world. Too fearful and unsure, Harry did exactly that.

--

'You are tiring my patience.' Snape growled as he returned to the room ten minutes later and it was obvious that the boy hadn't moved an inch.

'Get up!'

'No!' Harry called back from underneath the sheets.

'I c-can't! He sniffed and no matter how hard he tried, the tears began to fall down his young cheeks once again.

'And pray tell, why you seem incapable of the simplest of actions?' Severus knew he was being rather unfair but the sooner the child learned to toughen up, the faster he would regain confidence and move forward with his life.

'I-I...' Harry swallowed. 'I'm scared!' He admitted with embarrassment.

'I don't want to go! Every time someone doesn't want me anymore or they die, I get put with another horrible person who doesn't care about me.' He re-emerged from the blankets and Severus was struck by the terribly heart-broken boy, although the child's gaze was on the blankets on his lap instead of him.

'I just want to grow up so I can live by myself and shut the world out.' Harry admitted as he had given up on ever finding true happiness that everyone around him leeched from him or else he never had to begin with.

Severus softened at those words and moved to crouch in front of the child. He lifted the boy's chin with one hand and brushed his other hand across the boy's cheeks to rid them of tears.

'If you grow up too fast, child, than you will miss out on many adventures.' Severus spoke as calmly as he could while a rage continued inside him towards beasts like Simon Gale and Tobias Snape that wrecked childhoods and brought darkness into the world.

'And don't you think it would be terribly lonely to live by oneself?'

'Maybe. But at least no one will yell at me or-or...call me a freak.' Harry sniffed again and despite the hand under his chin, he lowered his gaze once again.

'And there are no adventures for those that the world hates.' He added in a whisper.

'Come.' Severus stood and reached out a hand to the child, offering as much comfort and reassurance that he could. It was the same amount of warmth he wished he'd received as a child, no matter how much he exclaimed that he needed nor wanted any close contact with anyone.

Severus was never very good with children, but this child was different...this child had already revealed him to possess a level of warmth he hadn't even realized still resided inside his heart. This kind of compassion had remained dormant for so long, Severus thought it had faded...but as it seemed, it was merely waiting to be let out.

Harry rubbed his sleeve across his nose and than stood. He stared at the outstretched hand before he reached out and grasped the larger one with his own.

He watched the stranger for a moment and wondered what he was going to do but allowed himself to be tugged along the corridor and towards the end where it appeared to just reach a blank wall.

'Can you see that?' Severus pointed to the ceiling and Harry nodded when he spotted a small string dangling a few inches from the ceiling.

'Give it a good tug.' Severus instructed as he lifted the boy onto his shoulders. Harry sat there for a moment and didn't notice the trust he showed as he didn't even hold on and merely reached upwards to pull at the string.

At first it seemed as though nothing had happened, but than a narrow flight of stairs materialized and Severus lifted the boy into the second step.

'Well, go along.' Severus encouraged but the boy stepped back and shook his head.

'Very well.' Severus understood the distrust and proceeded up the stairs while the Harry curiously followed behind him.

Harry stepped inside the darkened attic and wondered what was so fascinating about an empty, dusty room with a single small window high above their heads. He turned towards the stranger and frowned as he was convinced that this was some sort of trick.

Severus leaned on one knee as he lifted a loose floorboard and extracted a large jar of coloured sand. He tipped the entire contents onto the floor and gave his wand a little wave before he turned to study the boy's reaction.

'Wow!' Harry gaped as the sand almost looked like a liquid as he turned blue and formed the shape of a whale swishing its tail and sprouting water.

Than it turned red and it was a blazing bonfire. Next was a bright yellow sun, a flock of white birds, a green field with long grass, a purple star that sparkled among many smaller ones, a white rabbit hopped, a castle stood tall on a mountain, a train issued smoke, a pile of books opened at than the sand formed a beach with yellows, blues and greens.

It swirled with rainbow colours and than grain by grain it flew back into the jar as Severus screwed it shut.

'That was amazing!' Harry exclaimed, his sadness temporarily gone. 'It was like magic! How did you do that?'

'As you stated, it was magic.' Severus nodded and was thankful that he had kept his treasured gift which had been given to him in third year by his mother and Lily in efforts to remind him that no everything in the world is black and grey.

'I used to come here as a boy and use this jar of sand to remind myself that there are still adventures to be had.' Severus said.

Harry's grin faded as he stared at the space where the sand had been (and oddly enough, none of the dust there had been disturbed), but he realized what the man was trying to tell him.

'Come along.' Severus said and retreated back down the stairs with the boy following behind him. Harry sighed as he wandered into his room and changed into his school clothes as requested, grabbed his bag and stepped downstairs to sit at the table. He ate his toast and drank his milk before he was ready to go.

'Have you brushed your teeth?' Severus asked.

Harry frowned and dumped his bag on his chair and headed upstairs to the bathroom. He used the toilet and washed his hands as well as brushed his teeth before he was sure every required task was done.

He never noticed how his toothbrush had ended up in the bathroom, nor how there was a fresh tube of children's toothpaste waiting for him to use.

'Now I'm ready.' Harry sighed as he retrieved his bag and nervously followed the man outside. He gulped and rushed to almost collide with Severus for safety when he spotted Emile growling at the man who was trying to move her bags of belongings into the moving van.

Oddly enough, she never noticed him. Harry frowned at this but hurried to keep up with his hero and didn't want to risk being seen.

'Sir?' He wondered after a moment and once they were free from Spinner's End. 'I still don't know your name.'

'Severus Snape.' He answered and knew it would be a bit unfair not to let the boy know his name by this point.

They reached the school faster than Harry had ever made it there before, probably due to the fact that Severus walked much faster than Emile.

'Y-you promise you'll be here when the home bell rings?' Harry turned towards his hero as he paused at the gates.

'I promise, Cody.' Severus nodded. 'You are safe now.'

'Thanks.' Harry felt relieved and waved to his hero who now had a name.

'Evans!' A boy's voice called out and Severus hesitated as he remembered James Potter doing the same thing to Lily all the time. He flinched and turned to watch the scene as Jack joined his friend.

'Hey, you're early.' Jack commented as he greeted Harry.

'And who's that.' He rudely pointed over to Severus but shivered when the man glared back at him.

'My hero.' Harry smiled. 'Come on, I'll explain later.'

Severus watched as the two boys entered the school building and felt a bit nervous about leaving the child there unattended but knew his safety measures wouldn't fail.

With a sigh, he turned back towards Spinner's End and spotted the vile occupants from the boy's previous “home”. Yes, he had other matters to attend to. Severus smirked as he approached the residence opposite his own.

Harry had trouble concentrating on his schoolwork all morning. He excused himself for the bathroom twice and often daydreamed as he pondered on the horrible things he'd dreamed of and the even worst stuff that was pure reality. But whenever it got too scary, the images formed into sand that coloured and became topics of interest, such as a tree full of bloom or a flowing river. It was peaceful.

The lunch bell finally rang and Harry rushed to join his classmates outside while Jack followed closely behind him.

'You alright, Cody? You seem a little, I dunno...distant?' Jack glanced at his friend as he bit into an apple.

'Um, yeah.' Harry sighed and for a moment he paused and wondered if he could trust his friend with the truth. He had never told anyone before, not after he accepted that no one would believe the truth about him. Was it worth the risk? What could possibly go wrong if he did?

'Can you keep a secret?' He asked Jack.

'Sure.' He friend shrugged.

'No, I mean really keep a secret.' Harry narrowed his eyes. 'It's big and really important to me.' He said seriously.

'I promise I won't tell.' Jack nodded. 'What is it?'

Harry stared around and tugged his friend around the back where they weren't able to be overheard.

'I know this may sound crazy, but I swear it's true.' Harry sighed and wondered if he was making the right decision in telling his first and only friend whom he still barely knew.

'Um, well I was born with a different name.' He began.

'My parents were killed when I was a baby and than a really nice lady adopted me. When they took me away from her for reasons I don't know, the lady at the orphanage changed my name and since then no one believes me when I tell them it's not true.'

'So...you're not really Cody Evans?' Jack frowned as he absorbed that information. Harry waited for the laughter and eye-rolling, but it never happened.

'What is your name?'

'Harry.' He answered. 'Harry Potter.'

'Harry Potter?' Jack gasped loudly and his eyes widened. 'You...you're the boy-who-lived!'

'Huh?' Harry frowned.

'What do you mean?' Now he was even more worried and hoped that his friend wasn't implying something terrible. 'Surely you mean someone else?'

'No.' Jack shook his head. 'My cousin Celia told me stories about a boy named Harry Potter whose parents were killed by someone really evil and yet the boy lived! She said it was a miracle.'

'Where did she hear it?' Harry questioned and now it was he who was somewhat disbelieving.

'She overheard a group of weirdly-dressed woman talking about it when she was younger. She's an adult now.' Jack shrugged.

'Are you really him?'

'I dunno.' Harry sighed. 'But I'm not Cody Evans.'

'And who was that dark man? You said you'd explain.' Jack added curiously about the man who he had glimpsed once across the street on their day of shopping and than he showed up to drop Harry off at school?

'Severus Snape.' Harry replied and relaxed as he friend appeared to believe him and didn't think he was a liar or crazy.

'I only just found out his name. Um, something really bad happened last night and he sort of...saved me.' Harry blushed. 'I'm staying with him for a while.'

'Oh.' Jack was quiet for a moment as he studied his friend and sighed.

'Harry, are you okay?'

Harry's head snapped up and he marveled in two things at once; firstly, he had never been called by his real, first name since Erin and secondly, someone actually wanted to know if he was alright.

'I...um, I'm getting there.' Harry swallowed. 'Mr Snape is really nice and he showed me something really cool that helps me feel better.' He shrugged and sat on the grass as he used the wall of the school for back-support.

Jack joined him and seemed to ponder on saying anything before he finally gathered the courage to do so.

'You can tell me, if you want to.' He shrugged. 'I promised I won't tell. And...well, you're my friend.'

'Thank you, Jack.' Harry smiled. 'You have no idea how much that means to me.' He felt his fondness for his friend swell as he hesitantly but gradually explained the situation surrounding his moving around, his horrible experiences with Emile and Simon, and than how Severus has saved him. He kept the tale brief, but Jack seemed to get the main points.

'What? That foul...' Jack growled deeply about Simon.

'If I'd been there, I'd have kicked him where he deserves it worst!' He snapped and frowned. 'How could he do that? It's not your fault he's a useless, foul git!'

Harry smiled and nodded. 'Yeah, I suppose.' He agreed as he joined his friend in venting and calling Simon every horrid name they could think of; they even invented a few new ones just before the bell rang and it was time to return to class.

'So um, what do I call you?' Jack wondered as they rejoined their class and sat in their desks (Jack had taken to sitting on Harry's left every time now).

'Cody; you'll have to.' Harry sighed. 'Because it's how everyone knows me and it'll be weird to call me...you know?'

'Yeah.' Jack frowned. 'But I guess I could call you that when it's just us.'

'Sure.' Harry nodded. 'So long as it doesn't get confusing.'

'Nah, I'll think of Cody as your nickname.' Jack replied smartly and opened his spelling book when the teacher requested them to.

Once the home bell rang loud and clear in the ears of every student, Harry was quite nervous. He knew Severus had promised to pick him up and yet still he worried.

Jack was aware of this and had vowed to stand with him until dark if he had to while they waited for the dark name named Severus Snape.

'You don't have to do this.' Harry reminded him as they headed for the school doors.

'I want to.' Jack reminded him. 'You're my friend and I'm not going to ditch you.'

'Thanks, Jack.' Harry smiled and glanced towards the gates. And there he was.

Severus wasn't in his usual robes but instead wore a black, long-sleeved shirt and even blacker pants. He looked oddly normal, unless you noticed the glower he cast most kids that ran past him as though their mere thoughts along should land them in a lot of trouble.

He spotted Harry and his frown disappeared when he also observed the fiercely protective and yet equally nervous expression of the other boy.

'Who is this?' Severus glanced at Jack when he and Harry stopped in front of him with the gate separating them.

'Um, this is my best friend, Jack.' Harry introduced.

'Hi.' Jack waved briefly. His nerves faded when he felt proud to being referred to as Harry's “best” friend. 'I saw you the other day.' He added.

'Indeed.' Severus nodded. 'I am content in knowing that Cody has at least one true friend to stand by him.'

'Yeah well, Simon is a right old git.' Jack growled and crossed his arms.

'I told him what happened.' Harry added. 'Um, is that okay?'

Severus noticed that Jack now seemed worried that he had gotten the boy in trouble so he nodded and they each relaxed.

'We best be going.' He added and Harry bit farewell to Jack. As the boys parted their ways, Harry rushed to keep up with Severus and his anxiety returned.

'What if they see me?' Harry gulped as he walked on Severus' right-hand side and tried to conceal himself as they stepped into Spinner's End.

'Cody, please calm yourself.' Severus sighed.

'In the highly unlikely chance that they would dare to even glance your way, I shall do whatever means necessary to ensure that they are unable to so much of utter a single word of insult.'

'Really?' Harry asked and Severus wondered why he had to constantly confirm everything he said.

'Yes. In.' He nudged the boy towards the door and watched as he stumbled lightly but otherwise obeyed his instruction.

'Place you belongings in your room and change into more carefree attire.' Severus added. 'I trust your teacher has bestowed homework upon each of your classmates?'

'Not today.' Harry said as he extracted a few papers from his bag and put them on the table with the intention of checking them once he had changed into other clothes.

'She just marked old stuff and gave them back.' He added before turning to rush upstairs.

Snape eyed the papers and reached to grasp the one on the bottom with the highest mark. It appeared to be an essay of some sort, titled “My Definition of a Real Hero”.

Interested, Severus sat down at the table to read it while he waited for the boy to return. He didn't need to be sorted into Ravenclaw to understand exactly what this particular piece of work was about.

Severus Snape wondered when he had ever been referred to as a hero and how a child who had constantly suffered had so quickly latched onto the smallest of kindness Severus had cast him.

A small twitch of his lips indicated the early signs of a smile as he replaced the piece of work and mused about the irony of someone like him being a hero. With all his mistakes in life, he considered himself entirely unworthy of such a title. And yet this boy begged a differ.

Harry came down the stairs in a pair of faded pants and a black shirt. He sat at the table and flipped through his marked assignments. Severus was curious when the boy lingered on the essay he'd just read and frowned at the material as though he thought his mark to be undeserving.

'It is quite an impressive assessment of a hero.' Severus commented and Harry glanced up with surprise.

'Yes, but my teacher asked a lot of questions that were annoying.' Harry sighed. 'I think she thought something was wrong because of some of the stuff I said. I thought it was quite good. I guess she believe me though, since she gave me top marks.'

'Your teacher was correct to question the meaning behind your words.' Severus said seriously.

'Something was very wrong. No child should suffer as you have.'

'And yet I did.' Harry said in a tone that was more befitting to a child much older than himself.

'I did suffer. I hurt, I cried and sometimes I even thought about running away. No one asked questions then.' He frowned. 'They only asked once everything was right again. I know you that I have to give things a chance, but honestly sir...I think the world is full of a lot of people who don't care about kids like me.'

'As true as that may be, there is no reason to give in to their cruelty.' Severus told him. 'How else will those who do care know to offer kindness if you act as though everything is fine?'

'People like you just know.' Harry offered a light smile.

'You saw me when no one else did. You helped me when no one else cared. You saved me when no one else...' His voice cracked a little and he ducked his head. 'Thank you.' Harry sniffed. 'I know you didn't have to but...you did anyway.'

'And I would gladly repeat my actions should such a situation present itself.' Severus said firmly. 'Although I am certain that I shall no longer need to.'

Harry nodded and smiled through his tear-brimmed eyes. He placed his papers on the table and steadily approached the man who had offered him more in a few days that anyone else had in a few years.

'And still, I thank you Mr Snape.' Harry whispered as he stood in front of the man and stared up at him.

Severus felt a surge of fondness for the boy in front of him that looked up at him with an expression he could not recall anyone ever aiming towards him in his entire life. It was gratitude, unwavering loyalty, complete acceptance and...love. After everything this boy had been through, he was still capable of such.

'You're welcome, Mr Evans.' Severus returned and placed a hand on the back of the boy's head, guiding him into his arms again for a reassuring hug. Although it felt as though the child had reached out and touched his heart instead.

After Lily, Severus could not believe that such an emotion had formed inside himself out of seemingly nothing. One would think this boy was his son and he'd been with him for many, many years.

His son?

Severus liked the sound of that.