Harry returned back home to the cottage after a fun fill 2 weeks with Sirius, and he was ready to enjoy the last few days of his vacation quietly with Severus. As he flooed to the cottage with Remus, he couldn’t help but that think that school was going to be starting in less than a week, and he still didn’t have any of his supplies. He hugged Remus goodbye and after hugging Severus hello, he went to put his stuff away. He walked into his room glad to be back, and he waited upstairs for about 20 minutes in case they were still talking. When he couldn’t hear anymore voices he went downstairs and looked around for his godfather. Yelling worked the last time he didn’t know where he was, maybe it would work this time.
“Uncle Severus, where are you?” He yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Behind you Harry, so no need to yell”
Harry jumped with his hand over his thumping heart turned to glare at his godfather in annoyance.
“Thank you Uncle Severus for taking 10 years off of my life, anyways I wondering if you were busy today.”
“I have a few potions I need to finish but nothing big why?”
“School starts in a few days and I still don’t have anything but my wand and Owl. Remember we were supposed to go back but we didn’t?”
“Oh I had forgotten, thanks for reminding me Harry. We’ll head to Diagon Alley directly after lunch, will that work for you?”
“You’re the adult remember Uncle Severus? I go when you go, but yes that will work for me.”
“Glad to know that Harry, now go play, you can go outside if you want just pay attention to the wards.”
“Cool, I don’t think I will though. I really want to finish one of my puzzles.”
“Ok I’ll see you in 2 hours for lunch.
”Harry went back to his room, intent on actually finishing a puzzle but in reality he found himself falling asleep and face planting into his puzzle pieces.Severus called Harry for lunch again but the child didn’t come, trying not to get annoyed when the boy didn’t answer. He went to the child’s room to see what had his attention so. As he stepped through the door he stopped and stared at the child who was asleep face first in his puzzle. Hiding a smile Severus walked back to his room to grab his camera and after taking a picture gently nudged the boy awake.
“Harry its lunch; time to eat so we can go school shopping. Wake up child.”
Harry opened his eyes and looked around the room; oops he didn’t even mean to fall asleep. He got up and followed Severus to the kitchen and enjoyed a rare meal of fish and chips. After lunch they headed to the fireplace to floo to the leaky cauldron.
“Uncle Severus, when can I floo by myself?”
“When you turn 12 and I trust you not to end up somewhere else.”
Harry thought back on the time he ended up in Knockturn Alley in his 2nd year, maybe 12 wasn’t such a good idea he thought.
“Maybe 13 instead, let’s go.”
They flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, and then entered Diagon Alley. They headed to the trunk shop first where Severus went off to look at others and left Harry with the store clerk. Harry quietly informed him that he needed a trunk with various types of compartments that ranged in from a dueling room, to a vault room, and he also wanted a trunk with an apartment in it. After informing the clerk that this wasn’t a joke he paid for it and waited for his trunk, it arrived the same time that Severus returned to him. The clerk shrunk it and they went to the bookstore next. While Snape was checking on one of his orders Harry was looking through the shelves when he accidently bumped into someone.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” he apologized.
“Its fine just next time, watch where you’re going.”
“Draco is that you?” Harry breathed out; he couldn’t believe who he was seeing.
“Yes that’s my name, how do you know me? And who might you be?”
“Oh how rude of me I’m Harry, Harry Potter.”
“Harry Potter, are you sure you’re him?”
Harry lifted up his fringe and was satisfied to see the gob smacked expression on Draco’s face.
“So believe me now?” He watched Draco nod in disbelief, before continuing the conversation.
“Are you excited about going to Hogwarts this year?”
“Of course, and I just know which house I’m going to end up in.”
“Which house then?”
“Slytherin of course, the best one out there, there isn’t anywhere else. Except maybe Ravenclaw, Merlin forbid I end up in Hufflepuff I would transfer schools, wouldn’t you?”
“No there isn’t anything wrong with Hufflepuff. Why would I leave the best school in Britain just because I didn’t get the house I wanted? I’m there to learn anyway, regardless of house they all teach us the same thing. Besides if your in Huffelpuff at least you know they would never betray you.”
“Yea you have a point I guess,” Draco replied still deep in thought about Harry’s answer.
“What house are you hoping to get into?”
“Well I know I have a lot of cunning so I could make Slytherin easy, but I read a lot so Ravenclaw is another possibility.”
“Aren’t you forgetting Gryffindor, you do know your parents were in that house right?”
“Yes but I didn’t know either of them; and I am my own person. Plus I don’t think I’m Gryffindor material.”
“Everyone would freak out if you ended up in Slytherin though,” Draco responded thoughtfully.
“Who cares what everyone else thinks? As long as my friends don’t care I wouldn’t. And I’m hoping to have friends in every single house, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t but thank you for informing me. Harry would I count as one of your friends?”
Harry looked closely at Draco this is what most people didn’t see when they saw him, all they saw was a Lucius look alike. The same thing when people looked at Harry they only saw James, if only he had done this the first time. He shook away the haunting thoughts and answered Draco’s question.
“You would as long as you don’t make fun of my other friends because their blood isn’t as pure as yours or because they don’t have as much money as you do. Not everyone is as fortunate as we are and I understand how your father can be, but you don’t have to be like him if you don’t want to.”
“How do you know about that Harry?”
“I know a lot of things I shouldn’t know Draco, but I can’t tell you why at the moment.”
“I understand Harry; everyone is entitled to their secrets. Who are you here with anyway, aren’t they going to be worried that you walked away from them?”
“Naw, I’m here with my godfather he told me to look around and get my books, while he talked to the store clerk.”
“Oh that’s cool, oh here comes Professor Snape I wonder what he’s here for.”
“How do you know Snape?”
“He and my parents are old friends, and he used to babysit me. Harry are you going to be riding the train to school?”
“Yes I think I am, why?”
“Would you like to sit with me and my friends?”
Harry couldn’t reply as he watched Snape’s face as it changed into his familiar scowl, which he wasn’t used to seeing this time around. He didn’t really know what to expect so he didn’t say anything as he approached them.
“Hello Draco, how are you doing? I do hope you’re not here alone again Dragon.”
“I’m fine Professor, and how are you? I’m actually here with mum, we’re school shopping sir.”
“That’s good to here, I’m looking forward to seeing how do in potions. Do tell your mother I said hello.”
“Yes sir”
“Mr. Potter I don’t think I gave you permission to leave my side, did I?”
Harry stared at him in confusion, he knew what Snape was doing but he rationalizes that his 11 year old brain wouldn’t catch on that quickly.
“You did though sir, you said…”
“Do not interrupt me Mr. Potter, just like your insolent father. Always believing that he was always right and everyone else was wrong. I told you to stay where I could see you, not wander into places you had no where being.”
Harry groaned why was it that Snape always had to bring his father into everything? He was never like his mother unless he did something that Snape liked, he mused. Oh well he had a part to play. He turned to Draco who was staring in Snape in confusion before shrugging his shoulders in a response. He looked at the floor and contemplated how he was supposed to reply when he felt a hand roughly grab his shoulder. He flinched of course and missed the guilty look in Snape’s eyes at his reaction.
“We are leaving Mr. Potter; I do hope you have everything. Because if you don’t I will not be bringing you back, and you will soon learn that not everyone will treat you as a prince. You will find out that I will treat you exactly as you deserve to be, you won’t get any special treatment from me. Just like your father; a spoiled, pampered prince. Merlin why Albus chose me to take this brat shopping I will never know,” he muttered to himself.
“Nice meeting you Draco, and see you at school,” Harry softly whispered.
“You too Harry, hope you don’t get into too much trouble,” Draco replied waving.
Harry quickly paid for his books and then he was quite literally dragged out the store Where he tripped on the steps outside and scraped his hands when he fell, but Snape wasn’t paying any attention to him. He shook his hands, damn they burned, but he didn’t say anything because he didn’t know if they were still in character or not. He blinked the tears away he wished this whole thing was over and done with it, his hands really stung. Severus took him to the Leaky Cauldron and after talking to Tom the barman they were led to a room. Harry kept his head down, he knew why Snape treated him like that sure, but that didn’t mean he liked how it made him feel.
“Are you going to spank me sir?” Harry asked eyes closed while shaking his head from side to side. His child and adult logic were once again fighting for control, and he had no idea who was going to win.
“Harry why in the world would you think that,” Severus asked bewildered.
“Because I disobeyed in the store, I didn’t listen when you told me to stay put. And you said that I you would treat me like I deserved to be, so I wouldn’t forget my place. I’m sorry sir, please trust me when I say that I didn’t hear you, I did not deliberately ignore you.”
“That’s because I never said any of that Harry. I gave you permission to wander around to get your books.”
Severus stared at the child in disbelief, and shook his head at his own stupidity. Of course the boy believes he deserved punishment he was abused all his life. He should have warned Harry of the role he had to play in front of other people. He looked intently at the child and saw that he was sniffling and that his hands were badly scraped, when did that happen?
“Harry what happened to your palms?”
“I fell down coming out the bookstore, I’m sorry Uncle Severus,” he replied sniffling.
“You have nothing to apologize for, come here child,” Severus said gently.
Harry walked over to him he knew that Snape wanted to heal his hands, but that was the adult part of his mind, the child part of his mind was believing that he was about to get punished. So he laid across his godfather’s lap, as if he was preparing for a sound spanking. When he heard Severus gasped he knew his godfather had just caught on what he was thinking.
“Harry child I’m not going to spank you, I just wanted to heal your hands.”
“But I don’t deserve to get them healed; you said you won’t give me any special treatment.”
“Merlin give me strength,” Severus muttered to himself. “Harry you do deserve to get them healed. This is not a privilege child it is a right, I only said those mean things before because of the part I have to play. Do you understand what I’m talking about child?”
“My hands hurt Uncle Severus,” Harry answered ignoring the question all together. He knew then his 11 year old mind was winning, because he was extremely upset by his godfather’s words.
“I’ll heal them child, give them to me,” Severus replied sighing as he grabbed his wand.
“Can we go back home now Uncle Severus?” Harry asked voice cracking.
“Not yet Harry, we still need to get your parchment and quills and your robes and uniform.”
“Oh ok sir, are we going now then?”
“Yes lets go, and you do know that when I say those mean things to you I don’t mean any of it right?” Severus asked gazing at the child as he waited for his answer.
Harry nodded, but on the inside he could feel the child logic completely take over his mind on this subject. He was incredibly hurt and all he wanted to do was go to his room and cry. He didn’t want to here with Snape anymore; he had forgotten how cruel the man could be. So what if he was pretending, words still hurt, and didn’t he learn anything when he called Lily a mudblood in their 5th year? Harry got sized for his uniform and robes and never said a word to the sales lady or Snape. He was gazing out the window while Snape was paying for the clothes when someone grabbed his shoulder and he reacted without thinking.
“No don’t please, I’m sorry,” He cried reaching up with one hand to shield his face.
“Harry it’s me, I won’t hurt you. I was trying to tell you that we were done over here, and we can head to the quill shop.”
Harry said nothing he just followed being Severus, with his head down. The tears were going to come and when they did he would be powerless to stop them. He tried to occlude the hurt feeling away but he couldn’t. He wondered when Snape looked at him did he see Harry Potter or did he still only see James Potter. He got a little depressed and miserable at that thought, because he didn’t know the answer to it. The tears tried to fall at that thought so he mentally chanted with his tears to stay where they were, and he only had to get through one more store and then he was home free. He let Severus pick out the ink and quills, he was a teacher and he knew best, and Harry stayed by the wall trying to blend in with it. Finally they were done and they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to floo home and Harry had yet to speak to Severus since flinching back in the robe shop. They landed in the living room and Harry hurriedly tried to run up the stairs but Snape called him back. He couldn’t stand here and talk with the man when he was about to start crying any minute. And besides how could this man help him when he was the cause of Harry’s hurt?
“Harry wait, is there anything you wanted to talk about with me?”
“No sir,” Harry replied eyes on the ground, his tears were about ready to fall.
“Well dinner will be ready in about 1 hour ok?”
“Yes sir,”
“Harry, are you alright child?"
”Yes sir,” Harry whimpered before taking his hand and angrily wiping the tears away.
“No you’re not ok child, why are you crying?”
“I need the loo,” Harry blubbered before running from the room.
Harry ran to his room and locked the door, knowing that it would do nothing against a wizard but feeling better nonetheless. He grabbed his stuffed dog and his blanket and headed to his closest where he cried and cried.
Severus was trying to figure out what was wrong with the child and had just concluded that he was at fault. He had forgotten how sensitive children could be, and even though he told Harry he was pretending when he said those unkind words to him, his feeling were still hurt. He rubbed his hand tiredly over his eyes; he didn’t know what to do. He headed over to the floo, he couldn’t believe what he was about to do, he was about to ask the wolf for advice.
“Lupin if you have a few minutes could you come over here, I need to talk to you about something important.”He conjured up a set of tea and biscuits and put them on the table and waited. The floo flared 5 minutes later and out came the wolf. Before Remus could say anything Severus start speaking;
“I messed up today wolf, real badly I might add.”
“What did you do Severus?”
“You know the role I have to play out there; well I forgot to mention that to Harry. And we ran into the child of Lucius Malfoy today, and I said some things to him so the boy wouldn’t get suspicious. But I didn’t think before I said them, and I happened to use the word deserve in my mini rant.”
“What precisely did you say Severus?” Remus asked prepared for the worst.
“That I would treat him exactly like he deserves to be treated. The child who thinks of himself as a freak and nothing more, he scraped his palms today and almost wouldn’t let me heal his hands. He told me that he didn’t deserve to have them healed and that they were his punishment. As of right now he ran out of the room about 15 minutes before crying, he seemed to know the only way he was going to get out of answering my questions was to say he needed the loo. I haven’t checked on him yet, but I guess I should.”
“I could talk to him, but this is your call. I spoke to him about him not being a freak and even though he said he believed me, I don’t think it sunk in quite yet. I don’t know what to tell you Severus, we’re all new to this parenting stuff. You go back to Hogwarts tomorrow don’t you?”
“Yes I do”
“Is Harry going to ride the train with his peers?”
“Yes, I want him to have the experience to make friends beforehand. Are you and Black coming to see him off, I’m sure he’d enjoy it.”
“That’s a good plan and I think we will; I’d better get back before Siri burns the house down.”
“Oh ok, and Lupin thanks for listening to me.”
“Sure Severus that’s what friends are for, right?” Remus flooed away before Snape could deny anything.
Severus walked up the stairs to Harry’s room and knocked but he didn’t get a reply. He turned the door knob surprised to find it lock, and took out his wand and easily opened it. He assumed that the child would be in his bed but he wasn’t, but he knew he hadn’t left the house so he wasn’t immediately worried. He heard a heartbreaking sob come from the closet and he slowly walked over to it and opened the door. Harry was lying on the floor crying his heart out into his stuffed dog for support. Severus found himself blinking away tears for a second, before focusing on the task at hand. He picked the child up and found that in between his sobs he was muttering hysterically to himself. He listened for a moment trying to figure out what the child was saying, what he heard made him feel miserable.
“I’m Harry not James, I’m Harry not James,” Harry repeated over and over again.
“I know you’re not your father Harry. You are your own person.” Severus said over the boy's sobs as he rocked the child to quiet him. “I didn’t mean what I said Harry, and I apologize. I thought you had understood after I told you. I never dreamed that you would think I actually meant what I said, especially since I tell you everyday what you deserve to have. You’re an exceptionally bright child, and I would give you the world if I could. You deserve nice things Harry Potter, you deserve food and clothes, you deserved a bed and a room of your own, and you deserve love child”
Harry didn’t even try to stop the tears; he was due for a good cry anyways. He cried out all his hurt and anger and helplessness at this situation. He cried away the feeling that he abandoned his children, and friends. And he cried at the unfairness of life and how he missed this the first time around, no one had ever told him he deserved to be loved. By the time he had cried himself out it was 2 hours later and he fell asleep on Snape.
Severus gently removed himself from the child, before picking him up and carrying him to the floo. He landed in the Headmaster’s office and for once shocking Albus, but this had to be done.
“I need you to watch him for about 2 hours, I have some business long overdue that I have to take care of and he can’t be there for it.”
Severus watched as Albus looked at Harry’s red tear streaked face and then back at him, eyebrows furrowing in understanding. He was beginning to get uncomfortable under the old man’s stare and he was glad when Albus finally spoke.
“Severus whatever your planning for them, don’t be so harsh. We can’t have you in Azkaban.”“I know you need me as a spy,” Severus replied tersely.
“No, I was going to say Harry needs you now.”
Severus said nothing and he flooed away to Number 12 Grimmald Place, where he surprised the mutt so much he fell off the couch. He looked around, he didn’t see Lupin anywhere.
“Where’s the wolf,” he whispered.
“You don’t have to whisper, he went out to get some food.”
“Good I’m making a house call to the Dursleys you coming?”
“Hell yes, we should leave now before Moony comes back.”
Sirius and Severus took the floo to Arabella Figgs house and the old lady was able to inform them of the way she had seen them treat Harry all those years. They thanked her and after transfiguring their robes to suits they walked down the street to the Dursely house. They let themselves when it seemed no one was home at the moment, so they took this time to look around the house. There was not one picture of Harry anywhere in the house, only of this fat child with blonde hair. Severus showed Sirius Harry’s cupboard and then informed him that Harry slept there for 11 years. They sat down on the sofa and they waited for about 20 minutes when the front door opened. They didn’t say anything as the Dursleys came through the door, when the family entered the living room they froze as they saw two men in their house.
“Who are you, and how the hell did you get inside my house?”
(Snape) “You don’t recognize me Dursely, I came here to take your nephew school shopping.”
(Vernon) “You’re that freak, whatever he did it’s your problem.”
(Snape) “Oh but it’s not what Harry did, it’s what you did to him while he was in your care.”
(Vernon) “I don’t know what kind of lies he was telling you but that’s all it was. I can assure you that I treated my nephew exactly the way he should’ve been.”
(Snape) “So what are you saying Dursely?”
(Sirius) “Enough of this idle chit chat, we know you abused my godson and starved him. We want answers, why did you hurt an innocent child? What could he have done to deserve that kind of treatment from you?”
(Vernon) “He was born, he survived, he was a burden, take your pick. We never wanted him, never had a choice and we knew he was a freak early on and we taught him his place.”
(Snape) “Petunia I always knew you were jealous, but never thought you would stoop this low. Had you been the ones to die instead of Lily and James, they would have treated your child as if he was theirs. Since their not here, it’s up to us to decide what to do with you. Were you aware that Harry Potter had not one but two godfathers? And one of those godfathers just got out of prison earlier this month? The other knows a ton of curses that will make you suffer for years to come and nobody could do a damn thing about it.”
“What… what are you saying?” Petunia whispered with her face paling at his words.
“That is Sirius Black, and I’m Severus Snape. But you know that already don’t you Tuney?”
Severus watched her as all the blood drained from her face before her eyeballs went up in her head and she fell in a dead faint. He ignored her and turned back to Vernon, he hoped that Harry never found out what they were about to do to them. He didn’t know how he would explain it to the child, but this needed to be done. The only thing they wouldn’t do was harm the child, he was not an abuser, but he did need a lesson taught to him too. He gestured to Black who was looking at Vernon with an evil glint in his eyes so reminiscent of Bellatrix he fought a shudder back.
“Go on Black, just keep them legal, and don’t kill him. We also need to get back before the wolf comes back or Harry wakes up.”
“No problem where is Harry?”
“He’s at Hogwarts with Albus.”
“Good, don’t ever tell him what I’m about to do.”
“As long as you keep your mouth shut about me, we won’t have any problems.”
“Deal”
When they finally walked out the house 2 hours later, there was a bounce in their step that hadn’t been there before. Severus was sure that Dursely would never want to see Harry again let alone hurt him again. He felt satisfied, glad they could duel out their punishments, and he was sure their child wouldn’t ever want to bully again. He shook his head, as they walked back to the floo. He watched Sirius floo away before he headed to Hogwarts to get Harry, who had yet to wake up.