Not all days were perfect with the little six year old. Harry was an exceedingly polite child, but he had a stubborn streak nearly as long as Snape's and sometimes, when he wanted something, he became a downright, conniving, smart-tempered snake.

It was a week before the start of the new term and Harry wasn't happy that his father was busy so much. Snape had potions to brew for the infirmary and sample potions to brew for his lower classes. He had ordered a new syllabus for his seventh years, and he had to read that over as well. He also had to review requests for students to take his NEWTs level class when they hadn't gotten an O on their OWLs.

Harry could only be good and patient for so long. His father had promised to take him exploring in the dungeons, but that excursion kept getting put off. One afternoon when he was supposed to be colouring in the sitting room, his father had been called away to a staff meeting. Snape hadn't wanted to leave Harry behind, but hoped that since he'd been so good so many times before, that it would be all right. As soon as his father left their dungeon home, a disgusted Harry threw down his crayons and promptly left.

At first, Harry felt rather confidant as he explored the dank, dark, depths of the castle dungeons. He found some interesting rooms and niches to explore and had even collected a few intriguing, and somewhat shiny, trinkets. Just as he was getting tired of walking he decided he ought to head back home. The problem was, he had no idea which way home was.

He pretended for a few minutes that he knew exactly where he was, but the dungeon wasn't cooperating and was only getting darker. Then he tried to go back the way he came, but it seemed like there were new tunnels where there had not been before. He didn't know that he should have just stayed put and called for the Bloody Baron. Truth was, the Baron kind of scared him, so he just didn't think of doing that. Instead, he kept walking, taking new tunnels, never realising that he had gone so far down in the dungeons that he'd inadvertently entered the dungeon labyrinth beneath the Black Lake. Harry only knew that he was starting to get very cold and it was rather smelly.

Shivering and with his arms tight about his chest, Harry was still walking, but now he was silently weeping. He desperately wanted to go home and he didn't even care if his daddy grounded him, gave him a time-out, or even spanked him. He was thoroughly miserable.

Far above Harry, in the Headmaster's office, Snape was near frantic with worry. He was pacing a mad hole in Dumbledore's carpet while the blasted old man spoke to the portraits for any clues on where Harry might be. It didn't help that Minerva kept glaring at him. Thankfully she'd stopped asking him what business he had in leaving a six year old child all by himself.

Remus Lupin, who had been at the staff meeting since he was teaching DADA for the new term, had come to Dumbledore's office to speak to him when he found one frantic parent, a darkly annoyed Deputy Headmistress, and the Headmaster.

Minerva quickly apprised Lupin of the situation since Snape seemed only prepared to bite his head off. Consequently, Snape really didn't listen when Lupin asked him a question.

"Did you say something to me, wolf?" snapped the distraught father.

"I asked you if you've tried Harry's Marauder's Map, yet?" Lupin repeated patiently.

"That bit of parchment that insulted me?" he glared heavily at the werewolf.

"That's the one."

"What good is that piece of paper, Lupin?" he crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest.

"The map shows you where everyone in the castle is. It also automatically updates itself when its owner, currently Harry, discovers new places." Lupin had a smug look on his face, obviously rather proud of the old Marauder artifact.

Snape dashed out of the office. He had seen that map but had not been able to discover its secrets so he had thrown the useless thing back into Harry's trunk.

There was very little of Harry's teenager past in the trunk. Snape had removed the Invisibility Cloak, he'd burned the oversize clothing, and his school robes waited for the day he'd be able to wear them again in his wardrobe. Harry's books were on his bedroom bookshelf and the journal he'd written in, Snape had tucked away with the Invisibility Cloak. The trunk was now a place for Harry to put his treasures. Snape knew Harry picked up little things that fascinated him but he had no idea how much of it was in the trunk. Just as he was getting frustrated sifting through the child's treasure, he found the Marauder's Map wedged into a bottom corner of the trunk. Yanking it out, he made the return trip to the Headmaster's office. Breathless, he shoved the map at Lupin.

"Well?" demanded Snape.

Taking out his wand, Lupin tapped the folded parchment and intoned, "I swear I am up to no good."

"Well, that answers a few questions," sneered Snape cryptically. Any further insult was quashed as Lupin laid out the map on Dumbledore's desk.

"There he is," pointed Remus with his wand.

"Amazing!" commented Albus as he watched the small marker for Harry traversing a twisty tunnel. "I was certain all the entrances to the underground labyrinth had been sealed."

"That information is no help, Albus," growled Snape. "He needs to stop wandering until we can get to him. Is there any way of sending him a message through this map, Lupin?"

"Can Harry read, yet, Severus?" asked Lupin.

"He's just learning now," replied Snape.

"I don't..." began Lupin.

"I think I know what might work," smiled Albus at the two men. He pointed his wand at the little moving marker and incanted a spell beneath his breath. "That should do it. Severus, Harry ought to be able to hear you and you should be able to hear him if you touch your wand to the map."

Snape did as instructed and called out, "Harry? Can you hear me?"

Down deep in the labyrinth, Harry sniffled and shouted in relief, "Daddy? Where are you? Are you coming to rescue me? I'm cold!"

"I'm in the Headmaster's office, son. I need you to stay put right where you are. We're coming to get you."

"I'm sorry, daddy," the little voice trembled and sniffled. "I only wanted to 'splore with you."

"Hush, Harry. It will be all right. Just stay there and we'll come for you."

Snape gathered up the map and with Lupin right behind him, they headed down into the depths of the castle to rescue Harry.

Following the map wasn't difficult and Snape had to grudgingly admit that as magical artifacts went, it was a very good piece of work. He wasn't about to compliment Lupin, though, and just concentrated on getting to his son.

Intermittently he spoke to Harry through the map to reassure him and let him know where they were.

Harry was overjoyed when he saw two bobbing wand lights cutting through the gloom and towards him. Tears running down his face, he threw himself into his father's arms mumbling apologies. Snape ignored the contrite words and knelt down and quickly examined the little boy. Other than a chill, he seemed all right. Thankful that his son was all right, he crushed him to his chest and then abruptly pulled him away and held him at arm's length.

"Don't ever disappear on me like that again, young man!" he scolded. "You're not ever to leave home unless you let me know where you're going. Is that understood?"

Harry's mouth drooped unhappily and he nodded miserably. "Are you gonna punish me, Daddy?"

Snape's jaw dropped and then he pulled the boy close again. "Not today, Harry. I'm too relieved to see you."

Picking up his child, he and Lupin made their way back to the upper dungeons and then they parted company.

Snape put Harry down for a nap and then took the map into his sitting room. He studied it briefly, folded it up, and tucked it away. The map, along with the Invisibility Cloak, would go into safe-keeping for Harry... when he was grown up.