In the early hours of the morning, when the sun was still hidden beyond the horizon and the sky was only just beginning to lighten, Severus Snape was enjoying the rare experience of a restful, dreamless sleep without any assistance from sedative based potions or even Dreamless Sleep itself. It was a sense of peaceful bliss that came to Severus extremely scarcely. As fate would have it however, this particular sleep was not destined to last the entirety of the night as the loud crack of apparition had Severus sitting up with his wand in his hand so swiftly it was almost impossible to trace at what point he woke up.
It could have been the sound itself that woke him, or the instinctual grab of his wand, or perhaps the force of throwing himself out of bed in the space of moments, but in a matter of seconds Severus had gone from a peaceful sleep to armed alertness. He was just turning toward his door when he saw the source of the disturbance, a rather contrite looking Albus Dumbledore with his hands held before him, palms open in a calming gesture Severus knew all to well from the amount of times the old man had done this to him; for all he seemed contrite at the time, he had a habit of continuing to terrorize Severus in the early hours of the morning when he had something of considerable importance to say.
Disgusted nevertheless, and irritated to have been torn from a perfectly good sleep, Severus lowered his wand and snapped, "What, Albus?" While glancing toward his door in a swift and furtive gesture to remind the old man he had a rather unwanted house guest in Peter Pettigrew. Albus smiled benignly, which indicated to Severus he was both aware and counting on the aptly ratlike individual’s penchant for eavesdropping and cowardice to assist him in whatever plot he had cooked up this time.
"I have a mission for you, Severus. It is of the utmost importance," he began gravely, "I'm afraid it cannot wait until morning. Please, take a seat." Albus stated this last with an air of graciousness that made Severus' upper lip curl in derision. This was still his home, and he did not need permission to sit in it. Shaking off the lingering annoyance, Severus drawled, “I’d rather not, Headmaster.”
Albus nodded, used to Severus’ early morning surliness and continued. “Voldemort must not learn of this,” he began in a soft but urgent tone, using the coded statement that meant he was giving Severus a deliberately false trail to feed to the Dark Lord. “I trust you can find a way to explain to him where I am sending you without too many questions being asked?”
Severus was silent, as though thinking before he answered, “That would depend on how long I will be gone, I imagine.”
Albus smiled at this even as he stated in a mildly soothing tone, “Just until the second week of August - I will of course still need you at Hogwarts, and I do know how much time you need to prepare for your start of term classes. I’m hoping it won’t take quite so long as that, but at the worst...”
Severus frowned throughout all of this and stated with some measure of honesty, “That will be difficult to do, Headmaster. The Dark Lord - “
Albus cut him off with a hard tone, meant more for the man who was surely listening in than for the Potions Master. “This is not a request, Severus. You will find a way to excuse yourself from his service for the summer. My sources have confirmed that the Trinium Crystal has been located in Bermuda, and I need your diplomatic skills in order to acquire it.”
Again, Severus frowned. The Trinium Crystal was a genuine artifact that, when used, permitted any Animagus with a canine form to take on the form of any animal that fell into the canidae family. To the Dark Lord, it would look as though Albus was collecting this for someone in his ranks - perhaps even Potter, who may be unregistered. It would also be something the Dark Lord would not want in Albus’ possession, and so there would be a counter-mission to go after it.
The truth was, Albus already had the Trinium Crystal, and this was a particular plot the Headmaster had come up with in the case of an emergency need of Severus in which his absence would otherwise be inexcusable to the Dark Lord. Whatever was going on, Severus was to report that Albus was sending him to Bermuda to retrieve it, which would not only excuse Severus but also distract the Dark Lord and some of his servants as they try and deduce why it is needed and attempt to capture it first, as Severus position as a spy for the Dark Lord would be revealed if he delivered it personally, and the crystal would not be considered important enough to Lord Voldemort to warrant risking his spy in Dumbledore’s court. The problem, however, was that Severus had no idea what his true mission was going to be for the next few months.
“I understand, Headmaster.” He stated simply, causing Albus to nod calmly.
“Excellent. In that case Severus, I suggest that you pack. I will meet you at Headquarters in two hours to give you your ticket and a few things that may help you on your journey.”
Severus nodded, knowing this would be when he would receive the details of his true mission, and Albus apparated away. The Potions Master waited a few moments, taking the time to dress himself before flicking his wand at his bedroom door, opening it to reveal Pettigrew, shamelessly standing behind it even after being granted plenty of time to stow himself away. “Well? Go inform Lady Malfoy that she will be receiving our company, and be sure the Dark Lord is summoned!” He snapped, leaving the unsavory task of calling the Dark Lord at this obscene hour of the morning to pitiful Pettigrew and the ever simpering Narcissa, wanting nothing to do with it personally. It also granted Severus the satisfaction of expressing his dominance over the trembling, graceless bastard who was not so subtly spying on him. Whatever Albus had in store for him, Severus was grateful to get away from the man who betrayed Lily Evans to the Dark Lord. There was only so much patience a single man could possess, and the urge to throttle Pettigrew increased incredibly each and every day.
Sighing heavily, Severus closed his eyes and took a moment to calm his mind. It was truly far to early in the morning to be facing the Dark Lord's considerable wrath, though he did hope he would be able to tame the beast with the 'valuable' information of Dumbledore's 'mission'. In the meantime, it was wise to bring his mind to bear and set up his shields carefully.
In a somewhat meditative state, Severus opened his trunk and began waving things inside. He had no idea where he was going, so he packed his winter cloak and charmed gloves just in case - when it came to Albus Dumbledore, it was wise to prepare for even the wildest of adventures. Also in the trunk Severus placed his various books and research materials, setting them all in the secret compartment that held an undetectable extension charm in its chamber. Once he had everything settled he double checked the strength of the featherlight charm before shrinking the trunk and setting it in the hidden pocket of his travel cloak.
Heading down to his parlor, Severus paused just long enough to activate a spell that would give Pettigrew a rather nasty surprise if he tried to snoop through anything, then stepped into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder. "Malfoy Manor," he growled, dropping the gritty powder and vanishing in a burst of green flame. It was an inelegant route of travel and Severus personally detested it - thankfully all of his clothes were charmed against dirt and grime, and as such he was able to step out of the Malfoy's ridiculously large fireplace as pristine as though he had walked up the drive.
He had barely taken two steps when Narcissa rushed up to him, her eyes wide with ill-concealed fear as she whispered, "He's here, Severus. Please, this had best be important - he's not in a good mood,” she warned him nervously.
“Do you think I would call on the Dark Lord at this hour if it were not important, Narcissa?” Severus sneered in return, before disregarding whatever reply she may have had and striding into the Malfoy’s entry hall where the Dark Lord stood over a cowering Pettigrew. Ever since Lucius’ imprisonment after the break-in at the Ministry, the Malfoy Manor had become a hive of sorts for the Death Eaters to contact the Dark Lord with news, hold prisoners or even hide out and enjoy the hospitality of Lucius’ disgraced family. It was an added insult to their considerable injury, but it made things simpler for Severus. He was about to announce himself when the sibilant voice of the Dark Lord stopped him in his tracks.
“Ah, Severus,” Voldemort greeted smoothly as he turned to face the Potions Master, red eyes narrow and cold as they gazed upon the other man, “Wormtail says you had a visitor this morning.”
Severus smiled thinly at the use of Pettigrew’s childhood nickname and inclined his head incrementally toward his Lord. “Yes, my lord. Albus Dumbledore arrived to inform me of a mission he wishes me to undertake. I am to lie to you, my lord,” he drawled smoothly, a small smirk on his face as though the mere thought was both ludicrous and ironic, a joke between himself and the Dark Lord, who just now cocked his head ever so slightly like a bird eyeing its prey.
“And what are you to tell me, Severus?” He murmured softly, the snakelike voice almost curious in tone.
“Whatever I can come up with, apparently, that will excuse me from your service until the third week of August.” Severus allowed himself a small snort. “As though such an excuse would be easy to come by.” At this, he was rewarded with an amused sound from the Dark Lord, indicating his temper was now calmed by curiosity and pleasure in Severus’ ironic humor.
“As it is,” Severus continued smoothly, “He wishes me to go to Bermuda. His sources have confirmed the location of the Trinium Crystal, and he wishes for me to retrieve it, though of course for what purpose, I have not been told,” He added with a genuine trace of bitterness. It was easy to call up the emotion, to think of how little Albus truly told him and dwell upon it as the Dark Lord’s eyes assessed his own for the validity of his statement. Apparently satisfied with the truthfulness in Severus thoughts and feelings, the Dark Lord turned away and moved towards the stairwell that Severus knew led to the Malfoy dining room, which had been serving as a meeting place for the Death Eaters since Lucius’ incarceration.
“The Trinium Crystal,” The Dark Lord mused as he made his way up the stairs. “A most curious artifact for the Order to require, wouldn’t you agree, Severus?”
Understanding the silent summons also being made, Severus made to follow the Dark Lord as he answered, “Quite. With Black dead, there is none whom I can think of which could make use of it. Unless...” He trailed off, as though uncertain, until the Dark Lord prompted, “Go on.”
With a slight frown, Severus mused to his Lord, “It could be that perhaps Potter has mastered the art. It wouldn’t be unlike him and his little friends to go and study it of their own accord - Merlin knows that boy is just like his father,” Severus spat, reminding the Dark Lord of James Potter’s ability and how he came about it by bringing up the all-too easy to call upon hatred of the other man. This also served the purpose of seeding a reason for the Dark Lord to try and find the crystal for his own use, or at least to ‘debilitate’ the Order’s plans.
“Perhaps,” the Dark Lord agreed mildly. “I would like you to try and discover this, if you could, Severus.” He added lightly, the tone so casual Severus knew it was an order.
“Of course my lord,” he agreed with as much sincerity as he could muster, adding a touch of sinister glee at the thought of catching Potter out as an unregistered Animagus to add an authentic tone to his desire to serve.
“Wormtail,” The Dark Lord called suddenly, his voice deceptively gentle, causing Severus to suppress a shiver even as Pettigrew approached, openly shaking in his fear of his master.
“Yes, m-my lord?” He stuttered, as the Dark Lord withdrew his wand. “Your arm, if you please, Wormtail,” he drawled icily, making the other man whimper as Severus sneered his contempt and complete lack of pity for the man now being used to call the others to this room.
The Dark Lord’s wand pressed to the mark on Wormtail’s arm, and Severus stood stoically as his own mark writhed to life, burning its call through his veins as he watched Wormtail also writhe, clearly hating this process. In moments, the room was filled with Death Eaters drawn from their beds, the anti-apparition wards lowered by Narcissa at the Dark Lord’s request when he arrived, Severus was certain.
Bellatrix looked as wild and eager to please as ever, while Yaxley and Dolohov looked sour about being woken early. Thicknesse was pale and bedraggled, though he stood at attention with a carefully measured expression Severus almost gave him credit for. The Dark Lord surveyed them and the others calmly before he informed them, “It would appear, my friends, that the Order has need of the Trinium Crystal. What for we, at this point, are unaware, though that is of little importance of course,” he stated smoothly, allowing those gathered to frown or murmur in response, according to their various natures. “For they will not retrieve it. Amycus,” He stated sharply, “You and Alecto shall go to Bermuda, where the crystal is located, and you will be sure to bring it here quickly. Albus believes it will take Severus until the second week of August to retrieve it - be quicker.”
The Carrows grinned their approval, and the Dark Lord turned to Yaxley. “I wish for a list of all registered canine animagi - though it is unlikely that this is for someone on the registration list, it will be good of us to be prepared.” The other nodded, so the Dark Lord turned and vanished, dismissing them all with his own disapparition.
Turning sharply as the sound of cracks resounded throughout the dining room, Severus strode past Narcissa before she could say anything - but that did not stop her from grabbing his arm. “Severus,” she began, but he shrugged her off, turning to her with a dark look before he growled, “I will be back before the start of term Narcissa. You would do me a great favor if you were a bit more discreet,” he admonished, sending a glare in Pettigrew’s direction before sweeping down the stairs as the woman took a moment to recover from being reprimanded in her own home. Before she had a chance to approach him again, Severus had stepped into the fireplace with a handful of the Malfoy’s Floo powder and stated, “Albus Dumbledore’s Office.”
Moments later, Severus was taking some of the Headmaster’s Floo Powder and nodding toward Fawkes before transferring to the Order's new Headquarters. It was perhaps seven in the morning now, but Albus was already waiting for him and, thankfully, there was not a Weasley in sight this early in the morning. Severus assumed Arthur had left by then, and Molly had made herself scarce. He also realized now just how early he himself had been awakened, and shook his head slightly in disbelief at Albus' apparent need of urgency.
Severus took a seat even as Albus waved for him to do so and once he was in a chair, the old man pushed a bowl of fruit at him. The Potions Master eyed the bowl dubiously before picking out an apple and nodding for Albus to get on with it. The Headmaster waited until Severus finally took a bite before he began speaking in a deliberately slow manner, which meant Severus was to listen to every word regardless of how unrelated the topic may seem to the current situation. It was a stalling tactic Severus was used to when Albus had something he wanted to say but knew a blunt opening would result in some sort of revolt.
“As you know, Severus, Harry has once again been sent home to his relatives for the summer months. Now, this is not something I want the rest of the Order to become aware of, but Harry’s living conditions at home are...less than ideal.” Albus looked at the Potions Master over his half-moon glasses and received a disgusted look in reply, as the last thing Severus could care about at this moment was how pampered the little prince was. Wordlessly he returned to his apple and hoped the man would get on with the point.
“Of course, I’m quite certain there’s been no physical abuse but - “ Severus' sharp glance back toward the Headmaster caused a small, sad smile to cross the old man’s features before he continued on, “Considering the events prior to summer vacation, I worry about how the neglect will affect Harry this year. He’s never had a very happy childhood, but he’s always managed to persevere,” Albus stated with no small amount of pride, before his expression darkened and he stated simply, “But with Sirius Black’s death and the full weight of the prophesy upon him now, I fear that being isolated with his relatives may break him down. We need him to be strong, Severus, we can’t afford to lose him. Especially not when my own strength is waning so quickly.”
For a long moment, there was silence in the room as Severus’ eyes fell to the Headmaster’s blackened hand and his mind began deducing what Albus was asking of him. Just as he was about to refuse, Albus continued on. “I cannot send someone who will sympathize with Harry too quickly. I need his summer accommodations assessed in an unbiased light, and I know if I send in someone who will leap to Harry’s defense at so much as a glare in his direction, I will not receive that.”
As Albus laced his fingers together, Severus knew the old man was all but openly saying, ‘I know you hate the boy, and thus will be reluctant to step in unless you absolutely must.’ He barely managed to withhold his sneer even as the Headmaster continued on quietly. “I want you to observe Harry’s living conditions closely for three days, then give me a full report on your findings. If you should find that the conditions are unsavory enough to warrant an intervention, we will have to find alternative living quarters for the boy this summer. Please keep in mind however, that Harry’s home with the Dursley’s is protected by Lily’s blood sacrifice,” Albus said sternly, in a way ruthlessly reminding Severus of his oath to protect the wretched child as well as of his failure to protect Lily all in one simple statement. “The conditions will have to be measured in what we feel Harry can manage at this point in time, considering his grief and his knowledge of the prophesy. If it is a simple matter of neglect then perhaps we can arrange to have his friends visit and lift his spirits.”
Albus fell quiet a moment, thinking of a child kept locked under the stairs for eleven years - a truth he had not realized until the day Hogwarts administrated the boy’s letter automatically. He had not thought to look in on Harry until then - to truly look in on him, in any case. He had glimpsed Harry shopping with his Aunt as a child, and watched him pick weeds from the garden briefly, but had not thought to observe the child in what he had been so sure would be a happy home. The letter Hogwarts magical quills addressed had alarmed him mildly, and he had sent Petunia a letter in regards to the boy’s treatment, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he should have done more. Harry never complained but for that first time, which he had taken as a sign all was well after his letter. Recently however, Albus had come to think that perhaps the reason Harry had not complained was more because he felt Albus would not listen after being turned away before.
Severus stirred, drawing him back to the present, and he pierced the younger man with his most serious gaze as he stated solemnly, “If it is more, however - if the living conditions are truly unacceptable - I trust that you will be honest and we will come up with another way to guard Harry this summer. Only you can do this, Severus. You are an excellent spy, and you are not the sort to act impulsively on anyone’s behalf. You also have a better knowledge of unsavory living conditions than most in the Order,” he added with a trace of genuine sadness. “If anyone can measure how likely it is for Harry to break there this summer, it is you, Severus.”
Pinned by the old man’s gaze and unspoken accusations, Severus had no choice but to clench his fists and accept the mission with but a single attempt at rebuttal. “And how am I to observe him for three days, unseen, in his own home Albus?” The infernal Headmaster smiled at him and drew his wand. Instantly Severus’ eyes widened and he began, “Headmaster, you cannot honestly mean to - “
“Oh but I do, Severus,” Albus interrupted, before stating firmly, “Abdotectum tego.”
Severus stiffened as he felt the cool wash of the spell cross over him, before glancing down at himself. A slight hiss of breath was his initial response to the result; he was completely invisible, and even after moving his hand several times he could not see any disturbances in the air, as with normal Disillusionment Charms. He gave Albus a slightly envious glance that he was almost certain the man could see through those glasses of his, for the man spoke while looking directly at him despite his current state.
“The spell will only wear off if you cast the counter, Severus. However I suggest you continue to wear it until you have gathered the information I need. Three days should be plenty of time, I’m sure.”
With a smile, Albus stood and in a highly disconcerting fashion, reached out and laid a hand on the invisible man’s shoulder. “Number four, Privet Drive. Good luck, Severus.”
With a mild pat, Albus left Severus to mull a moment over this less than savory mission, before the Potions Master disapparated with a crack to Arabella Figg’s house which he knew from his single, hateful night of patrol before Albus realized the utter stupidity of having Severus guarding Potter’s summer home. He stared angrily at the house where he would be spying on Potter of all people, before wondering idly if the household was still asleep and if he could sneak in. He had to hand it to Albus, the man had a gift with manipulation rivaled only by Tom Riddle before the madness. The singular mention of physical abuse had been enough to stun Severus enough to not argue, but now as he thought on it he realized the very idea was beyond ridiculous.
Making his way to the back of the house, Severus was considering finding a way to dodge the mission and avoid three days of watching Potter whine on about how bitterly unfair his life was to his simpering relatives when the back door opened swiftly and a body was tossed out into the yard. Severus watched in mild interest as Potter quickly caught himself and half hopped, half stumbled back into a standing position as a grotesquely obese man came out after him.
What happened next caused Severus to frown slightly as the man gestured sharply toward a bed of flowers, his motion causing Potter to jerk away and raise his hands a bit in a manner Severus recognized all too well as defensive. That alone would have been enough to cause some soft-hearted fool like Lupin to think the boy expected to be hit, and more than that he was cowed by the thought. Severus, however, highly doubted that Harry Potter, the Boy-Whose-Arrogance-Knows-No-Bounds, was intimidated by a fat Muggle and decided not to read too much into the reaction. The idea was ludicrous enough to make the Potions Master choke back a snort that would have given away his presence, to Potter if not the Muggle.
Silently, Severus crept forward with his eyes on the two as the fat man ordered Potter to clear out the weeds and repaint the shed by lunchtime, or he'd not see a single scrap of food until tomorrow evening. “And if you even think,” the fat man growled, pointing an abnormally thick finger at Potter, “Of trying to contact any of those freaky friends of yours, you’ll regret it, you hear me?”
From his new angle, Severus could see Potter’s face twist with a mix of exasperation and bitterness. “I told you, I can’t contact them without m-” the boy stopped even as the other man’s face turned a rather alarming shade of purple, and Potter quickly stated, “Only with Hedwig Uncle Vernon. And I won’t, I swear. I’ll get to the weeds then, shall I?” He stated with a rather light air before moving quickly as though to hop to it.
To Severus' surprise, Potter's ‘Uncle Vernon’ was surprisingly quick for a man so large. He had Harry by the scruff of the neck just as the boy darted toward the flower beds and Severus had stepped forward a bit almost out of instinct as Vernon snarled softly into Harry’s ear, “Too right you won’t boy. Because if I even so much as hear that bloody bird’s cage rattle, you can bet it will be the last time it does, understand?” Potter quickly agreed, his voice meek, and he was released. Vernon turned and left him, and for a moment Potter stared after him with a haunted look that made Severus’ heart twist despite himself. Lily’s eyes had never looked so old, and there was something deeply wrong about seeing them so now, even on Potter’s face.
Shaking off the sudden feeling of concern for Potter, Severus moved to the shed and sat on the concrete, where the imprints of his shoes would not be noticed by the boy. For the first hours of the morning, very little of interest happened. Potter weeded with the brisk efficiency of someone used to hard labor and the understanding of what was meant to remain in the garden bed and what was not. The sun had risen, and even in the coolness of the morning Potter’s neck began to glisten with sweat as he worked, barely making a sound. It was around ten when Potter finally finished the weeding, which concerned Severus slightly. The boy had done an excellent job, even Severus could not deny that much, but he still had the shed to do, and in two hours if Vernon’s threats held any weight - which Severus suspected they did, though he refused to think too much on the implications of such a suspicion. He wasn't ready yet to accept that Potter's life was less than ideal. It was more than likely the boy had disobeyed his Uncle and was being properly punished for it. In fact, Severus mused, that was probably precisely what was going on. Potter had broken some rule, and his Uncle was reinforcing it with yard work and keeping Potter from whining to his friends about his punishment.
Severus had just finished smirking about what he was certain was the true state of affairs when he noticed that Potter was coming toward the shed. Realizing he needed to move now, and do so without Potter noticing, the Potions Master flicked his wand to cause a slight flash off to the boy's left. The boy turned quickly to see what it was, and Severus moved deftly to the shadow of the nearby tree, mentally cursing himself for not paying attention.
Potter, meanwhile, had shrugged off the flash and was now entering the shed. A few moments later he was out with a bucket of paint and some supplies, which he set on the concrete where Severus had been seated just moments before. Taking a seat in the shadows, the Potions Master lost track of time as he watched Potter go about his task. The first coat was done when a thin woman whose horse-like face Severus sharply recognized as Petunia Evans stepped out of the house and examined the flowerbeds before walking over to where Harry sat with his brush, repainting a dry section with its second coat. She sniffed at him and, from her apron drew out a muffin which she tossed on the ground by the boy, who barely looked at her as he stated dully, “Thanks Aunt Petunia.”
“Be sure to finish that by dinner. Vernon will be most displeased if this is unfinished by the time he gets home.” Petunia’s shrill voice was as grating as Severus remembered, though he rolled his eyes at the fact Potter was being fed despite his Uncle's firm words. It would seem Severus had been correct in assuming this was a punishment, but of course Potter was too damned precious to be allowed to starve.
“Yes Aunt Petunia.”
There was silence between them for a moment, before Potter fidgeted slightly and finally glanced at her, as though wondering why she had not left yet. Petunia continued to look down at him, before finally she said in a voice so soft Severus had to lean forward to catch it, “You should have known better, then to get those freaks to threaten us. Vernon’s been in a temper ever since, and its entirely your fault. What were you thinking, getting those - those people - to approach us like that? I’ve never been so mortified,” she tutted, lips pursed in a highly unattractive manner, as Severus brows rose in surprise at Potter's audacity. Threatening his family now, was he? To think Albus thought he was being mistreated, when in truth he was as much a delinquent at home as he was at Hogwarts!
“Just keep to yourself boy, and be sure to keep your mouth shut.” She stepped back as Potter rose to his feet to paint a higher spot, then turned to go.
“Is that why you’re feeding me, then? So I’ll keep quiet?” There was nothing in his tone of voice that Severus could pick out as defiant - if anything, the boy’s tone was completely deadpan - but the Potions Master was genuinely shocked by the sheer disrespect and gall the boy had to say such a thing.
Petunia reacted as though the boy had spit on her, and as far as Severus was concerned, Potter may as well have. She turned sharply, pointing a bony finger at him and snapping in a waspish whisper, “I don’t have to give you anything, boy, so you had best mind your attitude! You ought to be grateful, getting food off our table when you can’t even finish your chores on time!”
To Severus’ disgust, Potter bowed his head as though he were ashamed, which the Potions Master had never known him to be, and answered softly, “Sorry Aunt Petunia. I was just wondering, because I didn’t finish the shed, but you were still feeding me.”
The woman seemed to deflate with this statement, which said a great deal to Severus about how Potter was treated in this household, if he was so easily forgiven for everything, though he was slightly impressed when Petunia managed to turn it around and remind Potter he was, indeed, being punished. “I don’t need you fainting before you finish the job, so don’t let it get to your head boy.”
Turning sharply, she left Potter to his painting. After finishing nearly half the second coat, Potter returned the abandoned muffin almost reluctantly and ate it in a brisk manner that hinted he may not have eaten anything before it, then sat in the grass for a moment’s break.
Severus settled back against the tree, frowning as he evaluated what he had seen so far. While it went beyond a shadow of a doubt Potter was being punished for his usual rule breaking antics, he couldn't help but wonder what possessed the idiot boy to threaten his family. It also appeared that Petunia’s disgust toward wizardry had not ended with her envy and hatred of Lily, if all this ‘freak’ talk was to be taken into account, though that really could just be because the family was so upset by whatever Potter and his friends had threatened. As Severus watched Potter go about the third and final coat, he wondered mildly what Albus would say when Severus reported that Potter was as insufferable as ever but that his family seemed more apt at disciplining him than the Headmaster.
When Potter finished, Severus rose as well and carefully stretched his aching muscles before creeping along after Potter and sliding in the house after him, following alarmingly closely in order to avoid getting hit by the door as it shut automatically. He froze in the doorway as Potter continued on obliviously, and Severus felt both relief and irritation that Potter had not noticed how closely he was shadowed. The boy would have to brush up on his instincts if he hoped to survive war against the Dark Lord.
Shaking his head, he followed the boy into what had to be the most obsessively clean house he had ever set foot in. As he glanced in the living room, Severus' keen observation skills couldn't help but notice a rather surprising lack of golden boy photos. In fact, upon closer inspection, he could not see a single photo of Potter in the room, though there were a copious amount of a boy whose physique was on par with the Crabbe and Goyle boys.
As if summoned into being by Severus' questioning looks at these pictures and the lack of Potter ones, the boy in question lumbered into the room with two other boys. One was tall and skinny, with a pockmarked face and a mean slant to his eyes, while the other was average in height but strong of build, with pale brown hair that was unfashionably long for a Muggle. All four boys stopped upon seeing each other, and Severus watched with interest at the way Potter's cousin stepped forward a bit with a grin to the pockmarked fellow and said, "What are you looking at Potter? Got a thing for Piers now do you?"
The pockmarked boy grinned in a manner that reminded Severus jarringly of Walden Macnair, even as Potter's voice took on that defiant tone that grated on the Potion Master's every last nerve. "What are you talking about, Dudley?"
"Heard you moaning in your sleep again, Potter. Who's Sirius? What happened to Cedric? He dump you?"
Severus' started slightly at this and looked sharply at the two boys as Potter's shoulders stiffened. "Now you're looking at Piers all nasty like. What's the matter Potter? Can't hang on to your boyfriends?" Dudley continued, his tone mockingly sweet.
"Shut up, Dudley." Potter ground out stiffly, but Piers seemed to have different ideas.
"Hey Big D, think we can beat the queer out of him? Cause I'd hate to think Potter might try something on me."
Dudley grinned at this and cracked his meaty knuckles while Potter stated, "I'm not queer, Piers, but if I was you can bet I wouldn't want anything to do with you."
Piers snarled, even as the brown haired boy laughed and stated in a high voice, "Not queer, Potter? Maybe if you bit the pillow a little more we might believe you!"
There was a bit of harsh laughter as Potter began backing up, but before Severus could fully accept what he was witnessing, Dudley was on the boy, his ham sized fist colliding with a sickening crack against Potter's cheek. Piers walked forward as Dudley landed another on Potter, who seemed more interested in trying to scramble out from under his obese cousin than in fighting back, and to Severus complete confusion, Piers took hold of a cabinet and upturned it, causing the ornaments atop it and the fine china in its display to shatter in an almighty crash. The boy with the long brown hair turned and left the house, yelling for Petunia as Dudley continued to lay into Potter.
When Petunia Dursely came in with the brown haired boy, Dudley got off Potter and turned to her with a look on his face worthy of a Malfoy. "He's lost it Mum!" He yelled, just as Piers stepped in with a more elaborate explanation of matters.
"We came in and Potter started calling me a queer, and when we told him to shut it he threw down the cabinet and tried to come at me, but Dudley grabbed him and gave him what for."
Dudley nodded with this story and added, "Those are expensive too Mum, I knew you'd be real mad and I was just real pissed Potter would do that to your stuff."
Severus was wondering idly just how stupid these boys must be, considering the unlikelihood of Potter throwing down the cabinet before lunging at someone simply due to the lack of logic in throwing it into his path and jumping over the glass, when Petunia did something unexpected. Potter had just gotten up when she stepped over the shattered china and slapped him clear across the face, making his head turn with the force.
"You ungrateful little beast!" She screeched, "Look what you've done! Just look!" She cried, as though to a stupid dog rather than a teenage boy. Severus stared in utter disbelief at this display, but stuck to his current orders of three days observation. This, as bad as it was, was clearly a case of teenage bullying and miscommunication. Severus didn't want to think that things were always handled in this manner, and that it was merely a heat of the moment display. Once Petunia had a moment to think clearly, she would surely realize Potter had been set up by Dudley and his friends, in the unlikelihood of Potter not yelling his defenses out.
"Clean it up - NOW." Petunia barked, "And mark me boy, when Vernon gets home he'll be having a few words with you, and then I want you out of my sight. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the summer, do you understand me you little monster?" Potter nodded, already picking up glass with his bare hands as Petunia turned to Dudley and her demeanor changed so fast Severus almost suspected an enchantment. "Oh Duddey-dear, you're such a good boy protecting Piers like that. Come, all of you, let's go get some ice cream." Her tone was so sweet and maternal as she ushered her son out the door that Severus would have gawked in surprise at the drastic difference from moments before, if it were not entirely unlike him to do so.
The brown haired boy followed her out, but Piers walked to Potter and slammed his foot down on Potter's hand, causing the boy to cry out for the first time since this all began as his hand was crushed into glass. "You're disgusting, Potter." Piers sneered, before running to catch up with the others.
After the door closed, Potter continued picking up glass without tending to his hand. Severus watched with a frown as the boy cleaned up, throwing away the shards and righting the cabinet, then vacuuming the carpet and the inside of the cabinet. He had not even bothered with his own defense despite how obvious the set up was, which disturbed Severus more than he cared to admit. The Potions Master watched with a slight chill as after taking out the garbage and the vacuum bag, Potter tore a piece of his own shirt, bound his hand at last, then proceeded to take a cloth and wipe up his blood from the vacuum, the cabinet, and the floor. He was still scrubbing diligently when Petunia and her son returned, followed immediately by Vernon whom they had waited for. Potter continued to scrub as the man towered over him, but it was clear to Severus that the boy was nervous.
"Get up boy. Go to your room." Vernon's voice was deceptively soft, a tone that Severus instinctively knew was the most dangerous of all. Without intending to do so, his mind flung him back to a memory of Tobias using that same tone, and even Voldemort. Yelling was almost always preferable to soft tones when you knew someone dangerous was angry.
Still determined to see what would happen throughout the entirety of three days - for there was no way every summer day was this bad for Potter, or the whole Wizarding World would know of it by now - Severus carefully followed Potter up the stairs and to a room he was startled to see had seven locks on the outside of the door. Inside, the room was small and sparsely furnished, and had no locks on the inside.
Severus stepped to a corner of the room and knew he would need a way to remain undetected in these close quarters when he noticed Vernon came in and shut the door quietly behind him, effectively trapping the invisible Potions Master in the room before he could decide just how to go about remaining as invisible as he appeared. As such, Severus chose to simply stand very still, wait this next scene out and hope that his corner would not be needed by either Potter or his uncle.
"I never should have let Petunia keep you," the obese man began in that soft tone, "I never should have let you out of that cupboard, let alone let you go to that freak school of yours."
Potter's face did not move from its completely blank expression as Vernon spoke and Severus struggled to accept the idea of Potter in a cupboard. Everything he had seen thus far clashed harshly with the life he had anticipated the boy to have lived. The difference between his assumptions and the reality was almost too staggering to be possible.
"You never dared touch a thing in this house until you went there," Vernon continued, pulling Severus from his contemplation, "Never spoke a word against us, till that place. Now, now you go and blow up Marge, talk back to me, threaten us with your freaky friends, and, to top it all off, YOU DESTROY MY HOUSE!"
The sudden bellow brought a wince from Potter, as Vernon advanced on him with a vicious growl, "You're a freak. And its time you remembered your place." In a surprisingly quick motion, Vernon grabbed Potter by the shirt and gave him a sharp shake, again rather like one would react with a particularly bad dog rather than a human boy. "You're never going back there boy, and if you think those freaks can rule the way I run my house, you have another thing coming!"
With that, Vernon stormed from the room, slamming the door shut with the sound of seven decisive clicks following immediately afterward. Severus kept an unaffected expression despite the fact nobody could see him, and as much as he tried to rationalize it away he knew, all too well, that he was deceiving himself. He had been deceiving himself since he first set foot on the Dursely's lawn, and he'd been too proud to care. Now he was locked in a small room with Potter, who despite the verbal and physical abuse seemed almost bored. He simply slid off his bed and, to Severus' mild interest, pulled up a floorboard.
Reaching into the secret hole he had revealed, Potter pulled out a jar Severus recognized as a healing salve he himself had brewed for the infirmary. There had been some off counts the last three years but neither he nor Pomona had thought much of it, thinking the salves merely unaccounted for amidst the madness of tending to so many students. Because it was a simple potion that could cause no harm even if someone had nicked some, they never really cared to look into it. Perhaps they should have, but then, Severus reasoned, would they have believed Potter even if he had confessed? The Potions Master knew, from his own rationalizing of today, that he most likely would not have.
Potter carefully applied the salve to his hand, then his face where the Dursley boy had caused the beginnings of a bruise, and despite how calmly Potter tended to himself, or perhaps because of it, Severus felt a sudden rage at the boy for hiding this. Was his pride so incredibly vast that he would rather go through this than have his less than ideal life exposed? Severus almost wanted to say the boy deserved his bruises for being such a complete and utter fool, when a thought arose in his mind that froze him to the spot.
'Please keep in mind however, that Harry’s home with the Dursleys is protected by Lily’s blood sacrifice...'
Albus statement suddenly held another, harsher indication. Potter may have tried, but he wouldn't openly state he was being bullied by his cousin, or abused by his Aunt and Uncle in any manner. No abused child would without either coercion or a very, very good reason, you know that much Severus. And if he tried, and received nothing, then perhaps he has merely accepted this. Perhaps it has nothing to do with pride and everything to do with what Albus dubs, ''perseverance."
Watching Potter pour himself quietly into his bed after stashing away the salve, Severus wondered if he should even bother waiting three days to report, before remembering the rest of Albus' speech. He frowned as he considered how wrong it was to think even for a moment that any child would be able to endure this, but Lily's sacrifice was too great a protection to give up easily. Gripping his wand, Severus performed as complex a distraction charm as he could manage silently in order to keep Potter from this corner for now, then took a seat on the floor. As his eyes fell closed, automatically forcing his body to sleep in the way he had trained it to do over the years, no matter what the conditions, the last thought to float through his mind was, Lily did not die so that her son could live like this.