Severus was hurrying across the park, looking around for Potter. He shouldn't have let the teenagers go out to the pub. Less than an hour ago, Theodore had breathlessly burst into the house and told him what had happened. The teen begged him to save the Gryffindor from his father, convinced that the man would undoubtedly hurt him. Severus didn't ask why the boy was panicking so much. He probably knew more than the Potions Master had realized.

Without hesitation, Severus went to Spinner's End, where he found only Tobias. Of course, his father was not pleased to see him. Between the insults directed at both the kid and himself, he learned that Potter had run away from the house by jumping out of the window. Tobias also threatened Severus that he should mind his own business, forbidding him to have any contact with the kid.

Severus was relieved that Potter had avoided the man's anger, at least for now. Still, despite telling the boy repeatedly that he should go straight to Flukey Road in such a situation, Potter hadn't. If the boy was going to, they would surely have met on the way.

Severus cursed under his breath. Of course. Potter was still that idiotic child who didn't listen to anyone and kept doing foolish things. Severus didn't know what went on in his mind and where he had decided to go. It was getting dark outside, and the rain was falling harder and harder. The man hoped Potter hadn't wandered too far. Although without the possibility of using spells in the area, it would not be easy to find him anyway. Dumbledore's spell blocked the simplest Lumos .

But when he looked to the right, not far from the playground, he noticed a small, curled-up figure lying on a bench. The Potions Master recognized that it was Potter straight away; he couldn't mistake it. Not after what he had seen in Dursley's memories—a little kid soaked in the rain, lying precisely in the same position on the porch of his uncle's house after Dursley refused to let him in for some stupid reason. It was one of the scenes he couldn't forget and which helped him keep his nerves in check when Potter's behaviour was extremely frustrating.

Severus headed towards the bench. The boy was wearing only a T-shirt and was shivering from the cold, looking like something the cat dragged in. He didn't even notice Severus approaching him. The man sighed, wondering why the boy always ended up in situations like this. Once again, the man decided to do everything to prevent Potter from returning to his father. Ten days left until the end of the holidays. He hoped Tobias wouldn't notify any institutions in the meantime. Even though Severus was a teacher with over ten years of experience and was acquitted of acting as a Death Eater because Dumbledore himself vouched for him, he still did not stir public confidence. Many still considered him a loyal servant of the Dark Lord, and because he was only a poor half-blood wizard, he had no way of garnering the favours of the wizarding world. His interest, much less kinship with the Boy Who Lived, could not be revealed. Not to mention the fact that if this information had reached Voldemort, he would probably be already dead, and it certainly wouldn't be possible to spy for the Order.

Looking at such a small, shivering teenager, he wondered if he could have sacrificed his status as a spy to keep the teen safe and secure.

Unfortunately, it was impossible if Tobias wasn't going to quietly hand over Potter's custody. Severus was aware that if he himself had tried to get custody from the Wizengamot, he would have absolutely no chance of obtaining it.

"Potter," Severus said. Although he was trying to sound soft, the boy jumped up, scared, trying to get up. When he saw who was standing over him, he calmed down a little.

"Snape."

"What are you doing here?" The man asked, even though he already knew the circumstances.

"Can't you see?" The boy raised his left eyebrow up, the expression that had often appeared on his own face. "I’m sunbathing; such beautiful weather is today, isn't it?"

Severus snorted. Two months ago, the same sarcasm would have angered him, but now only slightly amused him despite the gravity of the situation.

"Why didn't you come to me? I have told you many times where to go in a situation like this."

The boy shrugged again

"Potter..."

"Sorry," he said and rubbed his hands over his shoulders, apparently trying to warm up.

Severus took off his jacket and handed it to Potter.

"Put it on and come with me." The Potions Master couldn't let the boy get pneumonia. The boy was already cold enough. He would give him the pepper up potion as soon as they got home.

"You don't have to." Potter stood up, propping his weight on one leg. However, one glance from the Potions Master was enough, and he reluctantly got the knee-length jacket on. "Thanks," he muttered under his breath

"Let's go."

As Potter took a step forward, his left leg buckled, but he quickly regained his balance.

"Er… I might have accidentally sprained my ankle," he muttered under his breath.

"Merlin," Severus said irritably. The kid cringed, apparently not controlling his reaction. Severus cursed Dumbledore for casting that damn anti-magic area. There was no other way, just: "Okay, jump on my back." When Harry opened his mouth, Severus added, "Not a word. Do what I say, and if you ever tell anyone about it, I'll tear your head off.”

The Potions Master had no idea which of them was more embarrassed about the whole situation. The kid jumped awkwardly on his back. 

"Hold me by my neck.” Potter did it right away, having no real choice. Otherwise, he would have slipped off. Severus held his legs under his knees. "And start eating more, or one of these days the wind will blow you away," he added grumpily.

The boy didn't relax for a moment, and all his muscles were tense. Severus wondered if it was because he still didn't entirely trust him and was afraid he would drop him or if he was so unaccustomed to human contact.

They entered the house, and Severus carried him to the living room, helping him sit on the couch. Potter winced.

"What's wrong?"

"Er, nothing, my ankle," he replied, avoiding Severus' eyes.

"Are you okay?" asked Nott, who was waiting for them, clearly concerned. Potter looked at him and nodded. "What's wrong with your ankle?" The Slytherin continued.

"You strained the foot I told you to be careful with." That wasn't a question, and the answer was rather obvious.

"Not my fault," Harry said through his teeth. "I tried to be careful."

Severus honestly doubted it but let the unnecessary discussion go. The Potions Master helped Potter take off his jacket and summoned one of his sweaters, which he told the still slightly trembling kid to put on. He also took a pepper up potion from his pocket.

"Drink this and take off your shoe. I'll take care of your foot," he said, then went to his basement for more potions, feeling like he had damn deja vu.

HPHPHPHPHP

Monday, August 21st, 1995

Harry woke up to raised voices. He stiffened. A furious Snape did not bode well, and Snape shouting at Nott could only mean that the Potions Master must be in an extremely foul mood. He looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was before nine. Once the man told him that they had breakfast at nine. But a few times, Harry did come a couple of minutes later, and Snape hadn’t reacted to it.

The teen tried to decide what to do. Should he go downstairs and risk the furious Snape going down on him or stay here, and risk Snape getting angry with him for not coming to breakfast on time? Harry wondered which option was better. In both cases, Snape would yell at him. After a while, he decided the first option was safer. The best he could do was pick the tactics the Dursleys had taught him—pretend he didn’t exist. Getting out of bed, he groaned. His whole body was sore, and his ankle throbbed faintly.

Harry made his way downstairs slowly but hesitated before stepping into the kitchen. Snape and Nott were still arguing. Harry felt his breathing quicken. He was aware that his emotions was a little too strong, but he had no idea why he reacted that way. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and stepped into the room.

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Severus was incensed. Not only was he having a huge problem with Potter, but on that particular day, Theodore decided to remind him that the Slytherin was still just a teenager and started rebelling. The boy's ridiculous Muggle "girlfriend" was going to London next weekend to visit her cousin and invited Theo to join her, which Severus was absolutely not going to allow. Aside from what hormone-buzzing fifteen-year-olds can do without adult supervision, there was a chance, perhaps a small one, but still, that the teen would meet somebody who could tell his father what company Nott was around. London was a city where even pureblood wizards happened to be sometimes, and even some of them lived there. Even the Blacks’ house was located in the very centre of the city. Not to mention the fact that some wizards sometimes used the Muggle entrance to both the Ministry of Magic and St. Mungo hospital. But of course, at the moment, Nott's little crush completely cut his common sense out. The boy insisted that Severus' fears were unjustified.

"Theodore! You're not going. Stop arguing!"

"Good morning." They both looked towards the kitchen entrance when they heard the soft voice of the Gryffindor standing uncertainly in the doorway. 

"Potter," he growled, but when he noticed that the boy flinched slightly, apparently still shaky after yesterday's brawl with Tobias, he tried to soften his voice a little, which he didn't quite manage. "Why are you hovering there? Make yourself some tea and sit down for breakfast."

The teenager nodded and went to pour boiling water over the tea in the mug Severus had prepared.

"Professor, you have paranoia! Nothing will happen to me. I promise to avoid any place where I can meet wizards!"

"Enough of that!" Severus hit the tabletop with all his might. At that moment, they heard the sound of a broken mug. "Potter! You klut..." Severus began but paused, seeing the horror written on the face of the teenager who stared at the broken cup, then looked at his teacher and, falling to his knees on the hot tea-covered floor, began to hurriedly pick up the glass.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I will buy it back!" Potter muttered frantically, ignoring the fact that the shards of glass were sticking into his hands which were starting to bleed.

"Potter, leave it!"

"I really didn't mean to!”

"Potter, calm down," Severus said, coming up to him.

"Really, I swear on everything. I'll never drop anything again," the panicked boy swore. Seeing Snape coming closer, he tried to speed up his movements, but his hands shook too much.

"Potter. Harry, look at me," Snape said as gently as he could. The fact that he used his first name caught the boy's attention, and he looked at Severus more consciously. "It's alright. Nothing happened. It's just a mug, Harry. Release the glass from your hand and take a deep breath. Mmm. Very good, come on." Snape helped him up and led him to the chair where he sat him. "Theo," he turned to where the Slytherin usually sat, but the teen was no longer there. "Wait here, Potter."

Suddenly, Theo ran into the kitchen.

"I brought the diptam," he set the potion on the table.

"Thank you," Severus said, and Theo nodded. "Potter, give me your hands." The man said and knelt in front of Harry, who was still chalky pale. The boy moved slightly away from Snape. "I just want to clean the wounds, nothing else." The Potions Master took his hand and cast a spell that cleared the cut, ensuring no shard of glass was left, then poured copious amounts of potion on it and repeated the process with the other hand. Potter stared at the floor the whole time.

"Sorry, I really don't know what happened."

"You panicked. Did you really think I was going to hurt you?" The man asked, looking at him. The boy didn't meet his eyes, more interested in the look of his hands.

"Don't know. I don't think so."

"Haven't I proved yet that I won't hurt you? After all, even when I didn't like you, I never raised my hand at you."

"I'm sorry, I just remembered something, and somehow ... Sorry, really, I don't know how it happened."

"Stop apologizing for things that are beyond your control."

"I'm so..." Harry began but paused when Snape brought his index finger to the boy's mouth, effectively silencing him.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. 

"Stay here." His voice lost all the gentleness he had tried to keep.

He walked to the door, wand at the ready.

"Severus." His father was standing in the doorway.

The Potions Master clenched his fists.

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Harry. Did you find him?"

"If he ran away from you, he must have a reason." 

"I know he's with you." Tobias narrowed his eyes, looking at him angrily. Severus's hand tightened on his wand.

“He is not here, and now, kindly, leave my house. You're not welcome here".

"Fetch him. I'm taking him home," he growled. As always, the man's voice sounded unbearable, stern and unbending.

"You've done enough damage already."

"I don't know what you're talking about! Harry!"

Snape laughed dryly. But he knew his father wasn't an idiot.

"You really do not know? Anyway, listen." The Potions Master decided to try to talk to him rationally. "We both know the kid is a burden to you. Looking after him, feeding him, and now he will also need books for school and clothes. Let him stay here. I'll take care of everything."

"Are you kidding me, Severus? I can take care of my own child, and you are the last person I would entrust him to. I read what you wrote about him in the school report."

Severus grimaced. Indeed, he hammered Potter as if he was the worst, laziest and meanest hooligan with the lowest IQ to ever attend Hogwarts. That the boy didn't care about his studies, and he treated the school as a playground. That he was wasting all the teachers' time, and if it had been up to the Potions Master, he would have been kicked out immediately.

"I won't let you hurt him anymore."

"Hurt? Have you really lost your mind?"

"What you're doing is plain abuse. Leave him alone, or I'll report you to the police."

Tobias chuckled hoarsely.

"Do you even hear yourself? I am raising him as I see fit. The kid has a roof over his head and food. Do you really think the police will be interested that some cheeky teen got a well-deserved thrashing from his father? Don't be ridiculous.” Severus knew the man was right. Nobody cared about abuse until a tragedy occurred, and then it was usually too late, especially in neighbourhoods like this, where violence against children was a daily occurrence. Nobody was interested in a lot of these kids. "It's all legal. Every judge will say so. On the other hand, kidnapping is a different category, so I actually can report you."

"You know very well that it will take some time before anyone actually reacts and does something about it, and then we'll be long at Hogwarts." Of course, Severus was bluffing.

“D'ya fucking think I'm an idiot? I know what it looks like with a magic kid. When I go to the police, your Ministry will find out too, and by the evening, the whelp will end up home." Severus knew very well that the man was right, but he had no idea where he got the information from. Did Dumbledore inform him of this? "And you will be long out of excuses. And don't you think I don't know about the other whelp who lives with you. Do you want the Ministry to take a closer look at whether you also have custody of him? Anyway, it doesn't matter. What will happen to the boy if they lock you up for kidnapping? Will he land on the street? Maybe he has a family, mother or father?" Tobias wasn't stupid. When he was sober, he could use valid arguments, draw the right conclusions and touch a nerve. However, Severus had no intention of handing Potter over to Tobias. Yes, he would take a considerable risk. But he had already formed a plan. It was only ten days. Before Tobias reported it to the police, which would straight away inform the Ministry, he would pack his and the boys' luggage and take them abroad, and when the school year started, they would return.

Severus was about to answer the man when he heard a soft voice behind them.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm really sorry."

"Potter," The Potions Master growled, turning immediately. He saw the Gryffindor standing in the doorway with a determined expression. Of course, the nosy kid heard everything. "Don't interfere."

“It's fine. I understand. I have to go home."

"For once in your life, do what I ask you to do. Go back to the kitchen. I'll be there soon," Severus growled. 

He saw the uncertainty in Potter's eyes for a moment as if he were actually considering it.

"Hurry up, let's go," Tobias growled. "You'll see. You're really going to get it now! And because of you, I'm gonna be late to work." He said and swung his hand as Potter stepped closer. Potter flinched, but Severus was faster, and he grabbed the man's hand.

"Touch him, and I'll end you." Tobias yanked his hand out of Severus' grip and spat at his feet. 

"Let's go, Harry."

"Potter. Don't be an idiot."

"No. It’s okay." Potter turned to Severus. Though his hands were still trembling, his face was firm. "I know you mean well, but the risk is too big. School starts soon anyway." As he said this, the boy glanced at Tobias out of the corner of his eye. "We can't risk that Theo would go back home. And I can handle it." Potter, as usual, wanted to save others at his own expense. However, Severus knew he could find a way to keep both of them safe.

"Potter, stay. Your safety is equally important."

"Stop twisting things around," Tobias growled and turned to Potter. "And you, I forbid you to come here. And you're not to talk to him at all. Got it?" Harry nodded.

"Thank you for well... for everything," Harry said to Snape, and he left with Tobias.

Severus pulled out his wand and concentrated. He chanted a very long spell, casting it at Tobias.

"Did you overhear the whole conversation?" asked the Potions Master as he headed for the kitchen where Theo was waiting.

"Did you expect something different from Potter?" 

"No, but certainly, I expected more respect from you to your elders." He looked at him pointedly.

"Sorry." The boy said, but there was no hint of remorse in his voice. "Why can't you cast Oblivate at that Muggle and make him forget all about Potter and take him home for the rest of the summer?"

“Besides the fact it's illegal?”

"I don't think you care much about that." Theo shrugged.

"And then what? This does not solve the problem of the next summer."

Nott looked at him uncertainly.

"I thought you wouldn't mind him living here permanently anymore..."

Severus sighed.

"This is why you should have a competent history teacher. Although, in the current political climate, where pureblood wizards sit on the wizarding council, it is not spoken of loudly anyway." Snape entered the living room, sat down in his armchair and motioned to the other one for Theo to sit in. "The truth is, this whole pure blood theory is a lie. Wizards are a relatively small community and had it not been for fresh Muggle blood, we would have been extinct by now.”

"I don't understand. Don't pureblood wizards inherit their families' magic? Doesn't that make them more powerful than Muggleborns?"

"Yes and no. Of course, inherited family talents, depending on what they are, can be invaluable, for example, parseltongue, metamorphomagic, speed of learning spells, or predisposition to learn black magic. However, there is such a thing as genetics and, therefore, inbreeding. Do you know what that is?"

"More or less," Theo said uncertainly. It was a taboo subject in the wizarding world. It was rarely mentioned because this theory was in complete opposition to the entire pure blood ideology. So, it surprised Severus a little that the teenager knew even a little bit about the subject. On the other hand, this was Theo, who was extremely intelligent, hungry for knowledge, and also interested in Muggle culture and science. And if he was reading Muggle history books, there was a good chance that he had come across information about multiple marriages in the European monarchy within one nobility and what effect they had on the offspring.

"So, as you know, it's about closely related people marrying each other. Repeated inbreeding increases the risk of undesirable traits in the offspring, such as reduced fertility, higher infant and child mortality rate, an increased risk of genetic disorders, often including reduced intelligence, and even the loss of magic.”

"This is how squibs are born," whispered Nott.

"Some of them for sure."

"Crabbe and Goyle? Maybe Flint can be an example of inbreeding?"

"A marriage between close cousins four times in a row certainly does not contradict this. In any case, by the end of the eighteenth century, infant mortality, infertility and squib birthing had reached its apogee in magical Britain, which of course, was a great shame for the aristocratic families since the narrative of pureblood superiority had prevailed for centuries. It was an absolute misalliance to marry someone with even an modicum of Muggle blood. But, also, no self-respecting aristocrat could allow anyone to learn about the damaged genetic material of his descendants. These wizards did everything to ensure that their status and social image were not harmed even in the slightest, even at the expense of the ideology in which they believed. It was a direct reason why there was a plague of muggleborn kidnappings. In an act of desperation, purebloods stole children of Muggles who had manifested their magic power. There also have even been a few incidents of the disappearance of pureblood children, but no one has ever proven how or why it happened." Severus looked at Theo; the kid was listening intently. If only other students would listen to him with such interest. "The Wizengamot has always been divided. Purists and blood traitors practically never agreed with each other in any way. However, this time something unexpected happened. The government virtually unanimously passed a law to use a powerful spell cast on Muggle parents. Wizards who had liberal views hoped to fight the kidnappings for ethical reasons, while purists were outraged, or at least pretended to be outraged by it because some of them might have done it themselves or at least thought about it. So, they spoke out loud that they loathed mixing aristocratic and, as they put it, muddy blood. Of course, the law prohibiting the theft of children has passed. By the way, it's ridiculous that such a law had to be passed at all. But more importantly, complex and very powerful spells were created to prevent the kidnappings of Muggleborns. They're still in place. And it's indeed difficult to get around these spells."

"How exactly do these spells work?"

"Whenever a Muggle-born magic incident occurs, it's recorded in Rowena's book—"

"Rovena's book?" Theo interjected.

"Yes, a book created by Rowena Ravenclaw, which is located at Hogwarts and is filled up automatically as soon as a child displays magical powers in Great Britain or Ireland. It shows the address where the magical incident occurred and the child's details. Thanks to it, it's also possible to send the first Hogwarts letters. As far as I know, two copies of it are in the Ministry. One of them is a bit more elaborate. It also contains parents' data and information about their blood status. Strong spells are applied to each muggle parent appearing in the book. Any magical interference that in any way changes or removes the memories of the child until it reaches the age of majority is illegal and punishable with Azkaban. The spell also causes an automatic, thanks to the book, notification of the Juvenile Magic Division. If there is any mention of a Muggleborn at the Muggle Police station, our Juvenile Division is also notified. It works similar to the Trace. And it also automatically disappears on your seventeenth birthday."

"So, there's nothing we can do for Potter?" Theo leaned his hands on the table, staring at it.

 "I didn't say that," Severus smirked.

"What did you do then if you couldn't cast Obliviate ?"

"I added one brief memory," the Potions Master explained. "I hope this will satisfy Tobias' desire to punish Potter and not alarm the Ministry at the same time." Or at least it was what Severus was counting on. The Memory Add Theory was invented almost a century after the law prohibiting the theft of children was passed, and because the kidnapping crisis had been already over, it was implausible anyone would bother or even remember updating an elaborate spell cast on parents of Muggleborns more than a century earlier.

"You really can add a memory?" Theo's eyes widened.

"Yes. My knowledge is not limited to potions only." Indeed, the spell was not easy at all, and it wasn't so much power that was needed as sense and finesse to use it correctly, and he had mastered it to perfection.

"Yes, I know, just ... To make a memory look real - wow. You are amazing."

"Thank you." The corner of Severus' mouth rose slightly.

"But...it's going to work, right?"

"I've also cast a light compulsion spell, so it should."

HPHPHPHPHP

Harry glanced at his father. The teen would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid, but he couldn't let Snape be locked up in Azkaban, and Theo returned to his father because of him. Harry wished he hadn't panicked so much the day before because maybe not at his own request, but he had dragged Snape and Nott into it all again. Harry was also aware that Tobias wouldn't forgive him when he just said he was sorry, and he would suffer. The boy's stomach tightened. He would like to get it over with already. Fortunately, there were only ten days left, and soon he will be able to return to Hogwarts. The boy couldn't wait. Until then, he had resolved that he would obey and do whatever Tobias told him to without any talking back.

At the nearest crossroads, the man suddenly turned right, in the opposite direction to their house, and Harry almost bumped into him.

"Watch where you are going." Tobias snapped, glaring at him.

"'m sorry," said Harry quickly. "Where are we going?"

"Are you really that stupid, or are you just pretending?" Tobias asked, but Harry had seen as if uncertainty flashed through the man's eyes.

"Er ..." Harry didn't know what to answer.

"Are you such an idiot that you cannot speak properly?”

"I'm not an idiot," murmured Harry.

"We're going to the supermarket to do the shopping, you take it home, and I'll go to work," Tobias said as if he was also informing himself about it.

The boy nodded meekly, trying to keep up with the man.

HPHPHPHPHP

Harry paused and set the two heavy shopping bags on the ground for a moment. He rubbed his hands to let some blood flow because they went numb. His ankle hurt too. Snape's potions didn't work as fast as last time. Probably that's why the man had warned him to be careful with his foot for a while.

As soon as he split up with Tobias in front of the supermarket, he breathed a sigh of relief. His father was rude and chided him all the time, but at least Harry now had a few hours of peace before the man returned from work. Harry took a deep breath and was about to grab the bags again when something caught his attention. In a nearby shop window, he saw a familiar shape. He approached it to get a closer look at it. He was right. Attached to the tarnished chain was a deltoid pendant, with a green snake encircling a silver sword set against a backdrop of flames. Without thinking, Harry came inside.

It was an old, gloomy shop with a lot of different objects. Some looked new, and some looked like they belonged to someone before.

"Good morning," he greeted, noticing a short, bald man.

"Morning. Can I help you?"

"I would like to ask about this pendant from the display. Where did you get it from?"

"Pendant?" The man pondered.

"Yes, this one here," Harry pointed the finger at it.

The man approached the window in surprise.

"Oh, this old thing. It completely slipped my mind that it was still here. A few years ago, some drunk pawned it, and he's never come back. Nobody ever asks for it."

"I'd like to buy it," Harry blurted out immediately.

"Thirty smackers, and it's yours.”

"Thirty pounds?"

"Yes, thirty pounds."

"I don't have that much with me."

"How much do you have, then?" The man narrowed his eyes.

"Well, actually... I have nothing on me," he said, blushing slightly. It wasn't his brightest moment. "But I will get the money next week. Could you please not sell it to anyone until then?"

"Nobody's ever asked for the pedant before." The man waved his hand. "But if anyone wants to buy it, I'll sell it. I have no guarantee you will come back."

"Please. I promise to be back."

"Kid, business is business."

"But it belonged to my dead mom. I really wish I could have it," he pleaded, hoping the man was at least a little sentimental. He himself was more concerned with opening the trunk than having a remembrance of his mother, although that would also be nice.

The owner of the shop looked at him searchingly. 

"Very well." He sighed. "But I only keep it until the end of the month and not a day longer."

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

Harry couldn't believe his luck. He had probably found the key to the trunk, and soon, he would be able to finally discover Eileen's secret. Tobias promised him money for the books, so he would have it to buy the pendant. Harry left the store and saw his grocery bags still lying in the sidewalk's centre. He hit his forehead. When he saw the pendant, he forgot about them completely and left them in front of the shop entrance. Fortunately, no one stole them.

HPHPHPHPHP

When Harry entered the room, Riki was dueling with the dummies. The teen had to admit that he was again impressed with how the man moved, how he dodged and cast spells.

"I thought you gave up," Riki said to him as his opponents went still after a few minutes.

"No, I didn't quit. I'm sorry for being late."

"Did something happen?"

"No ..." Harry replied uncertainly. "Not really."

"If nothing happened then, please, kindly respect my time, huh?"

Harry nodded; he wasn't going to admit that he totally forgot about his training.

"So, how was Friday night with your father?" Riki asked as he walked over to the drinks table by the window and picked up the water.

"Alright."

"Just alright?" Riki asked, peering at him out of the corner of his eye. "On Friday, you were jumping with joy at the thought of the evening."

"It was awesome," growled Harry. "Anyway, that's none of your business. Can we already begin? I'm not here to talk."

"Ouch, someone is not in the mood today." Riki's tone sounded slightly offended. However, Harry just shrugged. He didn't want to think about what had happened this weekend, and not to mention, he was still feeling very sore. Besides, he didn't feel up to running and dodging Riki's spells at all. But he knew he had no choice, and he had to do that not only for himself but also for Sirius and all the rest of his friends.

"Sorry, let's just get started."

HPHPHPHPHP

"What's up with you? You're hopeless today,” Riki asked as Harry was hit for the tenth time in less than twenty minutes.

"Nothing, it's just not my day," Harry said, struggling to get off the floor. He wanted to weep, his throbbing ankle slowed him down, and with each movement, he felt the consequences of how unhappy Tobias was with his marks. Riki walked over to him and held out his hand to help him up.

"I don't think it's going to work out today." After a moment of thought, Riki pulled out his wand and whispered a few words, and two comfortable armchairs appeared in the centre of the room. "Sit down. We'll try something different then," he said, pointing to one of them as he sat down on the other one. Harry obeyed. To his surprise, it was the softest and most comfortable armchair he had ever sat in. "Have you ever heard of Occlumency?"

 "Of what?"

"Occlumency. I'm not particularly surprised you don't know what it is; as far as I know, they still don't teach about it at Hogwarts. Which doesn't mean it's a rare skill. In short, it is about protecting your mind from others stealing your memories, thoughts or emotions."

"You mean wizards can read minds?" Harry asked, a little scared.

"Not really, and not all of them. The average Legilimens that is, the one who, um… let's say, can peer into your mind, will be able to see your random memories, but without knowing the context, he probably won't have a clue how to read them or what they mean. On the other hand, it is easier to read emotions. The bigger problem arises when well-trained and exceptionally gifted wizards want to poke around your mind. Usually, they are able to find the memories they want to see. They will find the context and will be able to definitely distinguish dreams from real memories. However, such a thing would surely be noticed." 

"And you will teach me how to defend myself against it?"

"I will try to introduce you to the topic. It is not easy at all, and not everyone has a predisposition for it. I hope you have at least a minimal one. In any case, for the time being, the pendant is protecting you." Harry unconsciously grabbed the chain. "Yes, this one. The spell placed on it protects you from an attack to a great extent. However, I believe that it is worth learning this art yourself. So, first of all, we're going to start by trying to relax. Clear your mind of thoughts."

Harry closed his eyes but then opened them again.

"How am I supposed to clear my mind and not think about anything? Whenever I try not to think about anything, I think about not thinking about anything."

Riki smiled.

"That's not exactly what I meant. Try to let your thoughts flow freely and be like an outside observer. So, try not to get attached to them. Thoughts will keep appearing, but try to control your reaction to them. When unwanted, unpleasant or stressful thoughts arise, focus on your breathing, feel your heart beating..."

HPHPHPHPHP

Harry couldn't say that Occlumency training had produced any results.

He actually felt like he hadn't learned anything. The boy completely couldn't concentrate. Riki made him realize that learning this field of magic was a long process. According to the man, meditation should train his mind in such a way that, on cue, it could bring him into a state of relaxation until he could slowly gain control over his thoughts. Riki also advised him to meditate for fifteen minutes every night before going to bed, and once he had mastered that, they would move on to learning more advanced defence of the mind. However, Harry couldn't concentrate enough to relax despite his best efforts. He knew every minute brought him closer to Tobias returning from work. And his father was still furious with him. Yes, the boy decided to bite the bullet, go home with him, and somehow survive the man's anger without saying a word. He knew it was less risky than the alternative, at least for Snape and Theo. However, as it neared five o'clock, Harry began to feel more and more afraid and wished he had trusted Snape after all. Maybe the man could really come up with some other solution?

After returning from the Ministry, Harry immediately started cleaning. The stress prevented him from sitting idle on the couch and waiting for his father to return. However, time dragged on mercilessly, and his stomach tightened more and more. He wanted it all over while hoping that maybe Tobias might not come home at all - it had happened several times before.

Harry jumped when suddenly he heard the door open. On trembling legs, he slowly made his way toward the kitchen. He knew that his confrontation with Tobias was inevitable.

"Hi," Harry said, standing in the doorway.

"Hi," his father replied, taking a beer from the refrigerator. "Don't stand there. Sit down." Harry obeyed him without a word. The man opened his drink and joined him at the table.

"Did you eat something?" 

"Yes," he lied. His nerves made him unable to swallow anything. Still, he knew that Tobias, unlike the Dursleys, expected him to take care of making himself something to eat.

Tobias nodded, taking a long gulp of his beer.

"What did you do today?" The man asked.

"I've been studying all day, and I'm about to start painting the first floor," he replied tightly. He had no idea why the man hadn't started yelling at him yet. Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm his quick breathing.

"So, what, was it so fucking hard to just study? Did I really have to hide you first to get you to study and listen to me?"

"No, I'm sorry." Harry had no idea why Tobias was so calm. He hoped it wasn't some sick game to make him feel a false sense of security and then strike at him unexpectedly. On the other hand, such a thing was not like the man. The man got angry and took it out on him, but his anger quickly passed. The man wasn't calculating enough to take weeks to punish him. 

"If you've already eaten, go upstairs and keep painting. You only have a week left." Harry nodded and got up quickly from his chair. He was about to leave, but he hesitated. Tobias did not start at all with the topic of yesterday's escape and the fact that the coach had brought him from the pub. He couldn't forget it so soon, and Harry knew he would be a nervous wreck by evening, waiting for the man to finally get the subject out.

"As for yesterday... I just wanted to apologize again," Harry began. "I don't want you to be angry with me about that."

"You've already got it for that, and I believe you’re not going to make the same mistake twice. There’s no need to go back to that." Tobias replied as he finished his beer, then stood up and reached for another. "So, get going."

Harry looked at him oddly. Something was wrong. But maybe Tobias was right, and he shouldn't pursue it. 

With that resolve, he headed upstairs.