H.P.

Harry was far too excited to be tired despite the early start. Even the monumentally long climb up some hill to the portkey didn't feel so arduous. It was relaxing to be amongst so much chatter and easy conversation for a change.

"So, uh, how's Sirius?" Ron asked in a lowered voice and Hermione cast a wary glance to check the others were at enough of a distance so as not to overhear.

"Uh, fine, I think. I've not seen him for a bit, not since I left Snape's. I've written to him though." Harry felt a pang of guilt where Sirius was concerned. Shouldn't he really be trying to spend more time with him? Or at least asking Snape if he can see him again this summer?

"At least something good came out of having to stay at with that greasy git," Ron said, neither noticing his moment of anxiety nor bothering to keep his voice low any longer.

"Yeah," Harry agreed blandly, looking down at the floor. It wasn't easy to lie to Ron and Hermione. Surely if they were trustworthy enough to know about Sirius then they must be trustworthy enough to know that he was living with Snape.

"Did we hear something about a greasy git?" one of the twins asked loudly before the other chimed in.

"We're not talking about Harry's good friend, dear Professor Snape are we? So, tell us, Harry, how was it living with old hook nose?"

"Uh, pretty horrible. Like class really."

"Ah, but you must have something to tell us. You've got the inside scoop! We'll get him back for giving you such a rotten summer, won't we George?"

"Uh, I–um, like what?" Harry asked stalling.

"You lived with him for weeks, right? Tell us, did he ever wash his hair?" Harry stared blankly. For one thing he'd actually no idea about Snape's hair washing habits, he tended to have other things on his mind, plus the whole greasy thing was just part of his Snape-ishness. For another, he could hardly go around badmouthing Snape. He'd know where people found it out from.

"He had his own bathroom. I didn't go around checking his hair all the time; I was trying to keep out of his way."

"Ah, so you probably wouldn't know if he actually owns a toothbrush either?"

"Well, I don't know for definite but–"

"There we have it. No evidence at all that Snape cleans his teeth or washes his hair, Snape's poor hygiene explained!"

Harry had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying anything. It seemed petty to go off on one about what Snape looked like. Fair enough he's a rotten teacher and he's a bully… or he was a bully. Still, it reminded him of the idea of his dad and Sirius picking on Snape and he didn't particularly appreciate it. It's not like he can help what he looks like. Maybe he could wash his hair, not that it'd make him a decent teacher but he was already sort of nice sometimes. Well, he was definitely trying to be less horrible which is pretty much the same thing. It was a start, at least.

"Stop pestering Harry about Professor Snape. I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about it," Hermione said, coming to his rescue and Harry let out his breath in relief.

"Yeah I don't really. I think I'd rather forget about it altogether."

"Are you okay back with your relatives, Harry?" Hermione asked, her expression one of utmost concern. Harry was irritated to find that it reminded him of the way Remus looked at him, like he was going to break or something.

"Same as, pretty much. So what have I missed here?"

S.S.

Loathe as he was to have to see the wolf again he stood back and nodded coldly as Lupin ineffectively brushed soot off of his already tattered robes. He struggled not to grimace as it landed on his living room carpet.

"You wanted to see me?" Lupin asked when he considered himself decent.

"However did you guess?' he replied drily. 'I have a request. Despite your poor attempts at keeping Potter safe I find myself in need of someone to mind him for an afternoon."

"I'm more than happy to take him again as long as I'm not working–"

"No, I want you to remain here with him while I'm gone," Severus said firmly. Harry would stay within the wards where he was protected and safe. He wouldn't have the boy– have Harry left in what he already considered questionable care.

"Wouldn't it be better if he came with me? I have a feeling Sirius isn't included in this 'request'."

"It would be better for Black if Potter came with you. The mutt's feelings on the matter do not interest me in the slightest. I'm his guardian, wolf. He stays here, you watch him and try not to do whatever it is that you do to upset him."

"It's rich of you to throw that in my face."

"Black will not step foot in this house again, nor in my quarters. Floo through from the castle."

"Hold on, Severus, while I've got you."

"Don't delude yourself into thinking that I have any interest in engaging in small talk, least of all with you, Lupin."

"It's actually quite important. You found out why Harry was acting oddly?"

"Yes. I'm capable of looking after my ward."

"I didn't say you weren't. I just wanted to mention that Harry has suffered a lot–"

"I know what the boy has suffered, I took him from that house. What makes you think you must remind me?"

"He's got emotional needs and perhaps more than a child who has not lived through what he has."

"I'm aware that Potter has been affected by his experiences–"

"You aren't the most approachable, let alone tactile, person I've ever come across. Children need affection and Harry's no different."

"I'll thank you not to give council where it is neither wanted nor needed. I will deal with Potter how I see fit."

"There are those of us who are happy to give him what he needs if you cannot. You can house him with you if you'd prefer. He needs someone to take him in and give him a bit of stability but we, Sirius especially, can look after his emotional needs."

"I've no desire to have Potter regularly run screaming from your attempts at emotional support. I'll thank you to leave your amateur attempts at child psychology for someone else's charge."

H.P.

Harry was in high spirits after the match, grinning enthusiastically as they waited for the top box to clear. The only downside to the day was having to share the top box with Malfoy but it was pretty easy to forget about him being there. Strangely enough, seeing Lucius bothered him more... The Malfoys just had to stick their oar in everywhere; they couldn't even let him live with Snape without trying to ruin that as well.

"Did you see the way Krum pulled out of that second dive?" Ron said gesturing wildly.

"Of course we saw it. We were there too."

"I'm going to try that," Harry said with certainty.

"Let's hope you don't pull up in time and crash head first into the stands… but then maybe that'd be an improvement," Malfoy interrupted, leaning down over the empty row of seats between them.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry retorted angrily, momentarily forgetting his promise to Snape.

"Come, Draco," Lucius called out in his irritatingly superior voice and Malfoy turned away with a smirk.

"Yeah, do as your told, Malfoy," Ron snarled out before mumbling something he definitely wouldn't have let his mother hear.

"Come on," Hermione called as their row cleared out of the top box.

"I think I'm going to go to bed now–" Ron announced loudly just as Percy and Mr Weasley made to join them at the table with their mugs of cocoa.

"What?"

"Now, before Percy goes off on one again about cauldron bottoms or the big Hogwarts secret."

"Yeah, bed– I'm exhausted," Harry said, feigning a yawn and stretching in his seat.

"Night, Dad, Perce…"

"So how come you're not staying after tomorrow?" Ron asked, searching in his bag for his toothbrush.

"Dumbledore says I can't. I need to stay with my relatives to make up for being at Hogwarts for half the summer."

"What difference does it make?"

"There's wards there, spells to protect me if Voldemort–"

"You-know-who."

"I get enough of that from– everyone. Anyway, there's protection at the house but I have to live in it at least for a couple of weeks for it to work."

"It's a shame but maybe you can come for Christmas instead of us all staying at Hogwarts."

"Maybe," Harry mumbled, pulling his covers up to his chin. Would Snape let him go with the Weasleys? He couldn't imagine Snape wanting to spend Christmas with him. This was a summer-only living arrangement, wasn't it? Harry put the question out of his mind. It was months and months away...

He fell asleep dreaming of dodging bludgers and screaming fans and wasn't awake when Ron returned from cleaning his teeth and climbed into his own bunk.

That the three of them had managed to get separated from the others, completely stranded, not too far from the riot almost had Harry rolling his eyes in frustration. Of course the Quidditch World Cup couldn't go smoothly and no doubt Snape would have something to say about it.

He honestly half expected to run into Draco Malfoy at the rate his luck was going and almost growled in frustration when his expectation became a reality and he emerged from the trees, standing there as if he hadn't a care in the world, as if it wasn't his sort, his father, who was out there levitating muggles and trampling tents!

"Pleasant summer, Potter?"

"Mind your own business, Malfoy," Hermione snapped when Harry said nothing, stubbornly pressing his lips together in an attempt to ignore the obvious goading. He's not on your side Malfoy! He's not going to tell you anything!

"Maybe those muggles do have an ounce of sense. Do anything to be rid of you, would they?"

"Shut up," Ron spat.

"So what did you have to do to get put with Severus?"

"Severus?" Harry said incredulously, breaking his silence. Since when was Malfoy on first name terms with Snape?

"You might as well just tell me now. He's only coming to the manor to tell us himself… Did they have to be forced to take you back, Potter? They must have been, no one could stand to be around you for more than five minutes. Look at the state of your friends, a blood traitor and a mud blood. You really were scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Harry gritted his teeth so hard his jaw began to ache.

"What's Harry's home life got to do with you?" Hermione asked, trying to push the boys to continue past Malfoy.

"Touched a nerve, have I?" Draco asked, looking directly at Harry who tried to drown out his voice in the sound of the steadily approaching riot. "I just feel sorry for Severus… stuck with you for weeks, I don't know how he could stand it. Nothing to say, Potter? I bet your own mother couldn't stand you. I'd throw myself in front of an avada kedavra first chance I got if I thought I'd be stuck with you for seventeen years."

Harry lost his temper and shoved Malfoy so hard he slammed back into a tree.

"Harry, no!"

Malfoy had his wand out in an instant. Harry dove aside to avoid the spell, making to grab his own wand, but came up empty.

"Expelliarmus," Hermione yelled.

"Missed, Mudblood."

Ron's was the only wand alight and he cancelled out the lumos to send a hex Malfoy's way. His only reaction was to laugh as the spell had illuminated Harry's position but allowed him to hide and Harry only just managed to avoid a vicious cutting hex, which grazed past his cheek.

"Stop it. We've got to go, now!" Hermione said and Harry had no choice but to follow, grabbing Ron as they ran, and all the while searching his pockets for his wand.

"Why didn't you hex him back?" Ron demanded when they were far away enough that they could barely make out the riot.

"I've lost my wand," Harry said in disbelief, still frantically searching.

"What do you mean you've lost your wand?" Ron asked, appalled.

"What do you think I mean? I don't have it," Harry said, panic beginning to set in. What was he going to do without it?

"Did you leave it behind?"

"No, I'd never leave it. I had it earlier but–" Harry began searching the ground around them. "We need to go back."

"We can't go back, Harry! We need to get away from the riot and Malfoy's back there."

"My Dad'll help you find it later. You've probably just left it in the tent."

"I didn't leave it in the–"

"We need to find the others, come on," Hermione insisted, ignoring Harry's heated reply.

Harry thought nothing of the deep voice incanting 'Morsmordre' until Hermione's panic set in.

"Harry, come on. We can't stay here, we've got to go!"

"Whoa, what is that?" Ron said, looking up at the floating skull in the sky.

"Ron, move. It's You-Know-Who's symbol!"

Harry swore under his breath. He'd lost his wand and now this. How was he supposed to defend himself? His scar felt fine though, so Voldemort couldn't be around.

Harry's thoughts were cut off as the loud pops of apparition sounded all around them and he shouted for them to get down.

As the spells criss-crossing over their heads faded and the welcome sound of Mr. Weasley's voice trying to explain that they weren't Death Eaters washed over them, Harry mused that the ministry really were the hex first, ask questions later kind of wizards. Snape was not going to be impressed. There was a good chance he'd never let him out again! There go his afternoons at the public pitches…

"They're at the scene of the crime!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Amos."

"This isn't the scene. It happened over there," Hermione corrected Diggory and Harry almost grinned.

"Did it now? And you just happened to witness the spell, did you?"

"We didn't witness the person casting it, but we heard them." Instead of everyone going to search the trees where he was pointing, the ministry witches and wizards stared for a moment before a few muttered comments were exchanged. As if sensing a change in the atmosphere, Mr. Weasley loudly suggested someone search the area in case they'd managed to hit anyone.

Harry frowned. It wasn't that he enjoyed the attention when he was recognised, but at least that was better than the reaction he was getting now. The ministry officials were eyeing him with suspicion and had gone as far as to raise their wands directly at him.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, feeling more vulnerable than ever at not having his own wand to hold.

"We'll be asking the questions here, young man."

"Here. We found someone!" A few of the ministry officials lowered their wands but Diggory held his steady.

"An elf! Crouch's elf, and it's got a wand!"

"Isn't that the elf from the top box?" Hermione murmured.

There was a ripple of shock at the wizard's announcement and Diggory lowered his wand unapologetically before moving on to harass the small elf.

"What's going on, Dad?"

"Quickly, what happened?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"We were over where they found the elf and we heard a man's voice say a spell and then that thing appeared in the sky and then everyone started attacking us," Ron replied.

"It was a man's voice, not an elf's," Hermione asserted, watching as the elf was ennervated.

"Why were they all blaming Harry?"

"No one blamed Harry. Just calm down."

"So you picked it up off the ground, did you elf? Are you sure you didn't have time to shoot off a few spells while you were at it?" Diggory accused the house elf, who in Harry's opinion looked terrified enough without Diggory waving the wand in its face.

"I is finding the wand, I is not using it."

"She didn't, it was a human's voice we heard," Hermione said loudly, watching with distaste as the large man intimidated the small elf.

"And just where do you think my house elf would have learned how to cast the Dark Mark?" Crouch interrupted with quiet anger. Harry hadn't even noticed he was there. You could tell he was in charge as the rest of the ministry group looked horrified at the implication.

"I– no, of course it–" Diggory stumbled over his words holding the wand up in a gesture of placation and Harry recognised it immediately.

"Hey, that's my wand."

All eyes turned back to him and it seemed to take Diggory a moment to process that information, but when he did he got a manically triumphant gleam in his eye. "It's your wand? So you admit it."

"Yeah, it's my wand. I lost it."

"Or you threw it away–"

"You're accusing Harry Potter," Arthur Weasley stressed, raising his eyebrows, and a few of the other ministry officials surrounding Amos Diggory shuffled about, embarrassed.

"And who has he been living with this summer? I think we know exactly where he could have picked up the dark arts!" The surrounding ministry officials seemed less cowed after this statement and there was a quiet murmuring between a few of them. Harry thought he heard one of them whisper Snape's name. Crouch said nothing but looked on coldly.

"Snape didn't teach me any dark arts," Harry said, looking at them like they were mad.

"Amos, be serious. Albus Dumbledore vouched for him. He's been working at Hogwarts for years."

"Not everyone believes he's reformed. We aren't all that easy to win over."

"What do you mean 'reformed'?" Ron put it in, looking up at his father.

"I didn't cast that thing," Harry interrupted, waving a hand vaguely behind him to indicate the eerily floating mark.

"Harry didn't. He didn't have his wand," Hermione insisted.

"I'm afraid we can't run the risk that the boy's being controlled in some way." Harry frowned. Why did everyone insist on calling him that?

"I'm not. Give me back my wand."

"He could have been confunded, doesn't seem to be under the imperius but we can't rule it out," Diggory was saying speaking to another man behind him who nodded in agreement.

"Mr. Weasley–" Harry said desperately.

"Amos, Harry's not even with Professor Snape any more. He's living with his relatives. How could he possibly be controlling Harry? Mr. Crouch, this is getting ridiculous," Mr Weasley said appealing to authority.

Harry was grateful that Mr. Weasley didn't mention that it had been Snape that brought him to the Burrow.

"Look at the evidence, Arthur. We'll make it a quick check."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked nervously.

"They can't administer Veritaserum without your guardian's permission. It'd be a standard spell diagnosis to check that your mind hasn't been interfered with," Mr Weasleys clarified quietly.

"Winky? Was the voice that cast the spell anything like Harry's?" Hermione said, addressing the quaking elf.

"N-no."

"See! Ask her what the person sounded like. He sounded nothing like Harry. It was a man for one thing."

"I think that clears it up then, don't you?" Mr Weasley stated happily, continuing in an undertone to Diggory. "Amos, Harry didn't even have his wand, he's fourteen and we have three witnesses that say it couldn't possibly be him. Are you really going to take Harry Potter from the scene of an anti-muggle riot, from under the Dark Mark, for spell diagnosis?"

It was then, finally, that Diggory relented after a short nod from Crouch.

"Can I have my wand back, then?"

"Sorry about that, Harry. Amos has a tendency to get a bit carried away." A bit carried away? He doubted the man even thought he was confunded. Diggory looked like he thought he was about to start shooting off dark spells left, right and centre just because he'd lived with Snape! Trust Snape to go off on one about his reputation, Snape's gone and ruined his.

"What's all that about Snape, then?" Ron asked.

"You should really be asking why they would think that Professor Snape taught Harry how to cast the Dark Mark," Hermione interrupted.

"What is a Dark Mark exactly?" Harry asked.

"It's the Death Eaters' mark, you really should know that."

"Why would I know that?" Harry snapped back, his temper getting the better of him.

"Calm down all of you,' Arthur Weasley replied. 'Hermione is right, the Dark Mark is the sign of the Death Eaters."

"Death Eaters?" Ron asked.

"You-Know-Who's closest supporters. Obviously not just anyone knows how to cast a Dark Mark, so it clearly came from someone who had been one of his supporters."

"But why's everyone so fussed about a floating skull? It's not as if You-Know-Who is here."

"Use your head Ron! Most people here remember what it was like before You-Know-Who was defeated. You lived in fear, afraid to come home one day and see the mark above your house, knowing what you'd find inside… It's indescribable."

"So, Snape was a Death Eater?" Ron could barely contain his excitement at his discovery.

"Professor Snape was vouched for by Professor Dumbledore many years ago, which is and should be enough, but there are certain people in the ministry who find it difficult to believe."

"But Malfoy's out there in the top box!" Harry exclaimed furiously.

"The Malfoys are a wealthy family… The situation is complicated and Professor Snape doesn't make himself popular. Don't cause trouble now that you know this. I know the three of you don't get on with him but this is serious."

"Of course," Hermione replied instantly.

"Ron, Harry?"

"Yeah, no I won't."

"All right," Ron agreed reluctantly.

"So, what do you think about Snape being a Death Eater?" Ron asked once they'd gotten back to their tent. He scooped up his clothes and stuffed them haphazardly back into his bag.

"Your dad didn't say he was a Death Eater. Dumbledore stuck up for him," Harry pointed out.

"They all seemed to think he was one. Diggory said 'reformed'… Sounds like he was a Death Eater to me."

"Ron's right, why would he say reformed unless we're supposed to believe that Snape's changed? He must have been a Death Eater once then…"

"Does it matter? Dumbledore trusts him so isn't that enough? I thought we were done with the whole Snape's evil thing," Harry snapped, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"I was done with it. You were the one who wasn't," Hermione replied defensively.

"Yeah, you've changed your tune. Maybe you have been confunded."

"I'm not confunded! I just think we've got bigger things to worry about. We know Snape's not a problem because he's always saving my life. It's the Malfoys we've got to watch out for."

"Well, yes, obviously, but didn't Malfoy say Snape was going to speak to them about you?"

"Fine, you're right, it's suspicious. I don't think Snape'll have much to say to them anyway. It's not like we spoke much."

"Professor Snape's quite perceptive and you just said Professor Dumbledore trusts him so why would he not have things to tell them?"

"I just think that Dumbledore's right, all right? Plus, Snape knows about Sirius and he hates him, more than he hates me. You saw them together. If he wasn't on the good side then he would give him up or kill him or something."

"There is that…"

"Still sounds like you've been confunded. Maybe you've got that thing when you start to like your kidnappers."

"Stockholm syndrome," Hermione supplied.

"I don't think that's what wizards call it."

"Snape didn't kidnap me and I don't have any syndrome. I'm just saying that if Snape was on their side, we'd know about it by now and he wouldn't go around saving my life."

"I think it's worth finding out if he was a Death Eater," Hermione said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"How would we find out if he was a Death Eater?" Harry asked trying to convey how ridiculous a suggestion that was. It didn't even matter what they found out, Snape had already told him he was a spy, so of course they'd think he was a Death Eater.

"Well, he'd have the Dark Mark on his arm."

"Snape does always wear long sleeved robes," Ron put in.

"Right so we just ask him to roll up his sleeves? Sorted," Harry said, voice heavy with sarcasm as he packed his stuff into his rucksack.

"You lived with him. Did you ever see his arm?"

"Well, no…"

"Aha, there's your evidence," Ron practically yelled.

"I think we'd have to see it for it to be actual evidence, Ron," Hermione interjected.

"Okay, we'll keep an eye out for Snape but I'm more worried about Lucius Malfoy. He was probably out there levitating those muggles."

"Come on out you three, we need to take the tent down," Mr Weasley called.

"Quit looking at me like that, Ron. I'm not saying that Snape's a great person. I just don't think he's going to try and kill me or ship me off to Voldemort."

"Boys, I was so worried!" Mrs Weasley cried the moment they were in sight of the Burrow.

Harry almost missed the figure in black looking supremely unconcerned behind her. He was ten hours early.