"I spoke to Poppy last night and she is going to watch Evan for a few days during my classes, until I can work out a schedule and find a tutor," he said.

Dumbledore smiled delightedly at him. "That's excellent, my boy, quite excellent. I have a few suggestions for tutors for him and I'm sure you'll agree that they will work out wonderfully. We can talk more about it this afternoon if you will come to my office after your classes."

Severus nodded and turned back to his breakfast, tuning out the chatter around him. He was certain that none of Dumbledore's suggestions were going to be acceptable, but he wasn't having that argument in public.

He kept an eye on the boys as they talked inside the silencing bubble, Draco leaning towards Harry, giving the impression that he was protecting him. Severus thought that it might not be far from the truth.

With a sudden insight that staggered Severus, he realized that Draco's rapid change of heart came partially from the fact that Draco now had someone to protect, much the same way that Severus had protected him from his father. He felt as if the world had shifted slightly and then settled down into a new normal, one that he almost recognized, but not quite.

He was nearly finished eating when he felt Minerva place a hand on his arm. She wasn't looking at him directly, but talking to Rolanda Hooch about Quidditch tryouts. His gaze fell to her hand and saw that she had a tiny slip of parchment between her first two fingers. Carefully, he took the paper and she withdrew her hand from his arm, picking up her teacup and taking a sip. He slipped the parchment into a pocket to look at later, when he was alone.

He drained his tea, then stood and walked down to the Slytherin table, handing out schedules and reminding a few errant third years that being late for breakfast did not mean that they could be late for class. When he finished, he stood behind Harry, as Draco gathered up his bag.

"I'll see you at lunch, Evan," Draco said and turned to leave for his first class.

"Draco," Severus said. "If you would please collect Evan from the Infirmary on your way to lunch, I would appreciate it. I may be a bit late."

"Of course, Uncle Sev…er…Professor Snape," Draco quickly corrected himself at Severus's glare. "Sorry."

The trip to the Infirmary was slow and Severus was sure that he was going to be late to his first class. He was tempted to just pick Harry up and carry him, but he knew that it would humiliate him and Severus was not going to do something like that if it wasn't necessary. Harry for the most part seemed to realize that he couldn't dawdle, and refrained from doing anything other than trail his fingers lightly on the wall, not stopping to inspect the things he had found so interesting on the way to breakfast. He walked as quickly as his limp would allow, not complaining, although Severus knew from the grip of his hand that he was hurting quite a lot.

When they reached the infirmary, Poppy was waiting for them. Severus transferred Harry's hand to hers saying, "This is Poppy, the mediwitch, Evan. I don't know if you remember meeting her last night after dinner, but you are going to stay with her while I teach my classes."

Harry was chewing on his bottom lip. "You'll come back for me?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, absolutely," Severus replied. "Draco will come for you at lunch, but I will retrieve you this afternoon before dinner."

Severus touched Harry on the shoulder, but before he could straighten up, he found himself with an armful of Harry, arms wound tightly around his neck.

"What is it, Evan?" Severus asked.

"Thank you," Harry said. "Thank you for wanting me. I'll be good, I promise."

Severus hugged Harry tightly, having no response to that profound statement. "I must go now," he said after a moment. Harry released him and stepped away, his back straight. "Bye, sir," he said. "Have a good day."

Severus smiled, informed Poppy that Harry needed a pain potion, and left the Infirmary.

~HPSSHPSS~

"What are you doing, hanging around such a baby?" Pansy demanded in a shrill voice, standing directly in front of Draco as he exited the Transfigurations classroom. Greg Goyle and Vince Crabbe stood just behind her. Draco looked around for other students, but since he had been the last one to leave the class, the hallway was empty.

"Evan is not a baby, he's the same age as we are," Draco replied.

"He acts like a baby," she hissed. "He's short. He has to hold someone's hand all the time. Professor Snape was carrying him last night. He's a baby."

"He's blind," Draco responded. "He has to learn how to get around the castle without being able to see." Draco clenched his hands into fists, trying not to get angry.

His wand was in his pocket, but he made no move to go for it. He knew some nasty little hexes that Father had taught him, but doing something like that would get him into big trouble and being expelled on his first day was not something he was even going to think about. Evan needed him and he wasn't going to risk that. When they were in private and no one would know, that was a whole different matter.

No, he thought to himself. That was wrong, he wasn't his father, he was better than that. He wasn't going to hex people, in private or otherwise, no matter how tempting it was.

He moved to go around Pansy and her apparently self-appointed bodyguards, but they just pushed him back.

Pansy laughed cruelly. "He shouldn't be here. He's useless."

"Not as useless as Crabbe and Goyle," Draco said snidely. "At least he can learn."

Pansy didn't dispute what he said, just shoved her nose against Draco's. "He's a scarred, ugly baby and you're stupid for liking him."

"I'm not stupid!" Draco yelled. "You're just jealous that I'm not spending all my time with you!"

"You are stupid!" Pansy shouted back. "He's a nobody and a weakling! You're going to be punished by your father for liking him, just wait!"

Draco lost his temper and shoved her, hard. Pansy stumbled away from him and fell, landing on her backside with an outraged cry.

Crabbe and Goyle immediately jumped him and began pummeling. He felt one of them land a punch that broke his nose as the other one wrenched his arm violently backwards, dislocating his shoulder. He fell to the floor, thinking that Uncle Sev would be furious at them for fighting outside of the common room. His vision greyed and he heard a woman's voice yelling just as he lost consciousness.

When he woke, he was in the Infirmary. Looking around, he saw Evan sitting in a chair that had been pulled flush with the bed, hands twisting in his lap and a look sheer misery on his face.

"Evan," Draco said, but his voice was scratchy and Evan didn't hear him. He looked around for something to drink and saw a glass of water sitting on the table next to the bed. When he tried to reach for the glass, he found his shoulder bound tightly in bandages and he couldn't lift his arm, so instead he laid back down, lifted his good arm and settled his hand on Evan's knee.

Evan started, fear in his eyes, then put his hand over Draco's.

"Draco, are you okay?" Evan crawled onto the bed, and leaned forward until he was almost directly over Draco.

"I think so," Draco replied hoarsely. He cleared his throat as he tried to scoot over without hurting himself. "Move back a little and lay down on the bed with me."

Evan put his hands out, feeling where Draco was in the bed, then moved to lay on his back next to Draco's undamaged side, shoulders touching.

"Professor Snape said that you got into a fight and were hurt," Evan said anxiously.

"I did fight with Pansy," Draco said.

"You hit a girl?" Evan seemed amazed. "Even I know that you don't hit girls."

Draco laughed roughly. "I didn't hit her, she was yelling at me and her face was right in front of mine. I didn't like it so I shoved her away and she fell. Her two goons Crabbe and Goyle, they hit me. I never had a chance to fight back."

"What was she yelling about?" Evan asked. Draco did not want to tell him and was relieved when he saw Madam Pomfrey coming towards the bed.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Snape should not be in the bed with you." Madam Pomfrey said, standing next to the bed.

Draco gripped Evan's hand as if to stop him from leaving, even though Draco knew that Evan couldn't hear what the mediwitch said. "I can't talk to him when he's over there. I want him to stay."

Madam Pomfrey sighed as she handed him a small vial of potion and the glass of water from the bedside table. The water felt very good going down his throat. "Very well," she said, "but he may remain only for a few minutes. You need to rest."

"When can I leave?" Draco asked after he had drunk the potion and felt the pain in his shoulder recede to a manageable level.

"When Professor Snape comes for you later this afternoon. He'll probably be here just before dinner."

After Madam Pomfrey returned to her office, Draco turned his head to see Evan's face.

"Was that Madam Pomfrey?" he asked.

"Yes," Draco replied. "She was checking on me. I can leave later this afternoon."

"Oh." Evan seemed to relax a bit, his face losing the anxious, miserable look.

"What was it like this morning with her?" Draco asked, curiously.

"It was strange," Evan said. "She gave me a pain potion for my leg. Then she let me walk around, touching all the beds and the night tables. She let me ask questions and she actually answered them!" His voice was filled with amazement and awe.

"Why is that strange?" Draco asked.

Evan shifted a bit, his face flushing. "I was never allowed to touch things or ask questions at my relatives'. No one cared if I was in pain and they never talked to me."

Draco didn't know what to say to that, so he just squeezed Evan's hand in understanding. A few minutes later, he was asleep.

~HPSSHPSS~

It was only the first day of classes and already it was a disaster. Four of his Slytherins had broken the unity rule and fought outside of the common room. Now Draco was in the Infirmary with a broken nose and dislocated shoulder, and the other three were looking at two weeks' detention with Minerva.

A breathless Gryffindor had run up to him, sent by Professor McGonagall to let Severus know what happened. It was lunchtime and he was on his way to the Owlery, initial paperwork for Draco's guardianship in his hands, sealed and ready to send to the Ministry. He'd decided not to bring Albus into the decision about the application for guardianship until the process was officially started, hopefully circumventing the Headmaster in any attempts to dissuade him.

He quickly detoured to the Infirmary, taking just enough time to ensure that Draco would be completely healed by the end of the day and able to leave in time for dinner. He left Harry sitting at Draco's side with a lunch tray and Severus continued to the Owlery.

After sending the sheaf of parchments off to the Ministry, Severus returned to his office and a private lunch, the remains of which was now pushed to the side of his desk as he looked at the note that Minerva had given him that morning.

Albus will try to bring Arabella Figg in to tutor Evan.
You will want to know that she was the one who was supposed to keep an eye on the boy as he grew up and let Dumbledore know if anything happened.
She lives down the street from the Dursleys with more cats than even I can stand. M.

Severus scowled. Albus wanted to bring in a squib, whose sole job had been to watch over Harry while living with his relatives? Had she known about the abuse, or had she just been as deliberately ignorant as Albus? If she had known, then that would mean that Albus also had known and the conversation with the Headmaster in the Leaky Cauldron had all been a lie. It meant that Severus had once again fallen for Albus's manipulations.

He crushed the note in his palm, hot anger washing over him. This could not be happening.

Severus managed to contain his ire during classes, only taking it out on a couple of third year Hufflepuff idiots that couldn't tell the difference between frog livers and toad livers and nearly managed to blow up their cauldron. Near the end of the last class, Severus decided that Albus would not get away with his interference. The Headmaster would either stay out of the decisions regarding Harry or Severus would stay at the school only long enough to get guardianship of Draco and then resign, pulling the two boys out of Hogwarts. He would then undertake teaching them privately. He would need to have Mipsy, his house elf at Spinners End, begin to prepare the house to make it habitable for him and the boys just in case. He didn't think for an instant that Dumbledore would be able to keep his opinions and his manipulations to himself and he needed to be prepared.

Depending on how much Lucius fought the guardianship, he could have everything taken care of in a few weeks. There was no doubt that Lucius detested his son, Draco wasn't strong enough, or proud enough, or smart enough to be a Malfoy. Draco failed in every way as far as his father was concerned and Lucius had never been reticent when pointing out Draco's failures, usually accompanied by curses aimed at the boy including the Cruciatus, or the business end of his cane across Draco's back. Draco had tried so hard to become what his father had wanted him to be that Severus had foreseen him becoming a miniature Lucius before he was thirteen. Draco's decision to renounce his father had come as a complete surprise.

Draco was, however, the only heir to the Malfoy name and that alone could cause Lucius to fight tooth and nail to keep him. Much of the success of his petition would depend on whether or not any of the Wizarding Family Service workers at the Ministry could be bought and by whom. The whole situation had the potential to become very ugly, but Severus had enough blackmail material to keep Lucius quiet, he hoped. Narcissa was a non-issue. She would never go against Lucius in any matter, including the probable loss of her son.

After his classes were finished for the day, he pulled his teaching robes tightly around him, swept out of the classroom and swiftly made his way to the Headmaster's office.

When he arrived at the entrance to the Headmaster's office, Severus growled the password to the gargoyle and watched as it sprang aside. He stepped onto the moving staircase and a moment later was knocking on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Enter, my boy," Albus's voice called out cheerfully, and Severus sighed in irritation. He hated being called "boy" and he was almost certain that that was why Albus did it.

"Headmaster," Severus said as he entered.

"Sit, Severus." Albus motioned towards the chairs in front of his desk. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you," Severus said, sitting in the chair nearest the door.

"How is Harry doing?" Albus asked.

Severus sneered, impatient with the delay. "You saw him at breakfast, Albus. It will take time for him to settle and become accustomed to his surroundings, but I believe he will learn quickly. Draco will be a tremendous help."

"He and Mr. Malfoy have become friends, then."

"Albus, stop stating the obvious and get to the point," Severus said crossly. "I know you are not happy with Harry being Sorted into Slytherin. You were hoping for Gryffindor, were you not? The color of his bedroom would attest to that."

Dumbledore looked at him for a long moment. "I have a few people that I would like for you to consider bringing in to tutor Harry," he said, ignoring Severus's comments about the Sorting and handing Severus a scrap of parchment.

Severus looked at it, then set it aside. "None of these people are acceptable, Albus."

"Do you mind explaining why you think so, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with that ridiculous twinkle in his eyes.

"Molly Weasley still has a child at home and Nymphadora Tonks is in Auror training. I won't even consider the rest of the list. Just because they are members of your Order does not make them suitable tutors."

"What about Arabella Figg? She could be a great influence on Harry and has the time to devote to him." Dumbledore smiled and Severus decided that the Headmaster's "kindly mentor look" wasn't ever going to work on him again.

"You mean the Arabella Figg who lives down the street from the Dursleys, has uncounted numbers of cats, was supposed to keep an eye on Harry and report to you any problems while he lived with his relatives? That Arabella Figg?" Severus sneered and the smile left Dumbledore's face.

Severus stood, looming over Dumbledore. "Headmaster, that you would even bring Arabella Figg into the conversation tells me only one thing. You knew about Harry, about the accident, the abuse and the starvation. You knew everything they did to him and did nothing about it, not to mention lying to me the other night."

"Severus," Dumbledore started to say, but Severus held up a hand, stopping him in mid-sentence. He was not going to listen to the Headmaster's excuses.

"No. Do not say anything. I am going to tell you this one time only and you had best pay attention. You will not interfere in my decisions regarding Harry. You will not make any recommendations, or bring anyone to the school under the pretense of teaching him or looking after him. I am his guardian; I will decide what is best. You have proven that you cannot be trusted and I will no longer do so."

Severus was gratified to see Dumbledore speechless behind his desk and turned to leave the office. Severus would not discuss anything further with the infuriating man.

As he started to leave the office, the door slammed in his face. He furiously whirled around to face the Headmaster.

"Sit down," Dumbledore said, his voice like ice. Severus sat, his eyes flashing with anger.

"I had no knowledge of Harry's situation," the Headmaster began. "I did not lie to you."

"How could you not know?" Severus hissed. "You had someone watching him, someone you apparently trusted enough to recommend to me as a tutor."

"She was not allowed in the house and she wasn't looking out so much for his relatives as Death Eater activity." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "I admit that she should have noticed that he was not outside as much the last few years and said something to me."

"As much?" Severus scoffed. "Not at all is more like it. Headmaster, you should have checked on him personally. He was not just another random Wizarding child being raised by Muggles, He's your Chosen one, the Boy who Lived." Severus couldn't stop his sneer at the words.

"I made a mistake. A costly one." Dumbledore reluctantly admitted.

"Why would you recommend Arabella Figg to me, knowing that she's is incompetent?" Severus asked.

"I wanted to give her a second chance." Albus smiled, the twinkle coming back. "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance, Severus?"

Severus stood. "Headmaster, you can give everyone in the entire Wizarding World, including the Dark Lord, as many chances as you want, but you're not going to do it at Harry's expense."

This time the door stayed open as he left.