Harry opened his eyes and then closed them immediately. His head exploded with pain. What had he done to deserve this? Harry wondered. Was Voldemort sitting in the next room? Rationally, Harry knew that he wasn’t, the pain was different, but he couldn’t explain why he was feeling so bad.

“You’ll want to take this, Potter,” Harry heard Snape’s voice.

Harry moved towards the voice, but refused to open his eyes. He felt a glass vial being placed into his hand. A potion. Snape was giving him another potion. Harry threw the vial in the in the opposite direction from where he thought Snape was. He wasn’t going to take another unknown potion from the man. Not after what the last two had done to him.

"Potter, this is a hangover potion. You do want it, don't you?" Snape said monotonously. Yes! Harry wanted it so bad but he would not trust Snape with potions. His head felt like it was compressing inside itself. "No," Harry moaned.

"Potter, don't be stupid.” Snape paused for a moment waiting for Harry’s reaction, and when he got not, he continued, “Fine. Live through your damn hangover for all I care. You deserve it as a punishment for drinking my Firewhiskey anyway, because alcohol is purely illegal while underage." Snape said as he tuned away and then opened a book. He had no more time or energy to deal with a stubborn teenager. Slowly he began tapping his foot on the floor.

Harry winced at the sound of Snape’s foot pounding on the floor. The vibrations made his head spin. "Okay, I'll take it!" Harry said finally.

"No Potter. This is your punishment. I’m not going to reward you for being stubborn. Now, I think have something we need to talk about.”

Harry tried to sit up in his makeshift bed, which was really just a blanket on the floor.

Every movement was a struggle, and moving just made his body hurt more. Harry brought his hand up to his head; it was splitting. The pain didn’t stop. He needed Snape's potion. Harry moaned. "Fine," he said not wanting to give in to the horrid man who took his leg. He took his leg!

Snape held the potion bottle back from Potter and watched the boy struggle with his blankets some more. “If you would just hold still, it wouldn’t hurt so much. You’re just aggravating your hangover. Now tell me, Potter, did drinking all that Firewhiskey really do anything to solve your problems?”

Hold still? What did this git know about how he felt? He felt restless, and all he wanted to do was get up and walk around. Harry didn't want to talk to him anymore. He tried to just ignore him, but he could feel the lecture coming on. Yes, here came the damn lecture. Snape had no right to lecture him.

“It’s not like I haven’t tried to do what you’re doing,” Snape said. “And I can tell you that it will not help you. You have a headache and everything else that you had before, you still have. I’ll give you this potion on two conditions. First: you won’t drink any more of my Firewhisky, and second: you will stay here and tell me why you did.”

"Why I drank? Do you really have to ask that? First of all it was a very little amount and second, I lost my leg! I have one damn leg, and it’s all because you chopped it off!"

"You drank the entire bottle," Snape said. "And did you really think that drinking Firewhisky would get your leg back?"

"Of course not," Harry exclaimed incredibly annoyed at the growing volume of their voices. "I didn't want to think about it. You should know about alcohol. You had a bottle of it for Merlin's sake."

"Firewhiskey can be useful for many things, and I know how much I can drink without ending up in a situation like yours. So what exactly did you think it would accomplish?"

"Well I didn't know how much I could handle as I have never had it before," Harry said making up an excuse and ignoring his last question. Why did Snape even care? The only reason Harry was even answering partially was because he wanted the damn potion.

"Hmmph, likely story. You were trying to get yourself drunk were you not?"

"And?" Harry asked. He could see the potion in Snape’s hand. He didn't even care what he was saying anymore.

"And I want to know why. You have all ready said that you knew it wouldn't solve your problem. And you can keep trying to avoid the subject, but that's just how much longer you'll have to wait for the potion."

"Why are you even asking? Why do you even care? You don't know me. You don't care about me. Why the hell are you acting like it now?"

"Because I am in charge now, and I have to make sure that you aren't going to hurt yourself."

"Hurt myself?! HURT MYSELF? I am already extremely more hurt than I would be if I hurt myself! I HAVE NO LEG!" Headache, headache, headache..... "Ow," he cringed. "I.just.wanted.to.forget."

"Forgetting will only last until you remember again, and this is not something that you can ignore," Snape said, but he felt a small amount of sympathy for the boy knowing how he'd felt the first time that he'd gotten drunk off his father's Firewhiskey, so he handed over the potion. "But we're not done talking."

Harry snatched it out of his hand and drank it up. He felt immediate headache relief. He signed and rolled over. He wanted to cry and finally let out everything that he was feeling, but he wouldn't do that in front of Snape, so he just rolled over slowly and buried his head in the blanket and tried to block out all sounds around him. Harry thought that maybe if he pretended to be asleep then Snape would stop bothering him. He'd done what Snape had wanted him to do, and he'd gotten the potion. What else did he expect?

"Potter. You're not just going to get away with this. Even in the Wizarding world stealing and drinking underage are illegal. You did both of them."

"So what? Are you going to send me to Azkaban?"

"Yes, I suppose I would IF WE WEREN'T STUCK HERE."

"Yeah, well I'm sorry that I tried to rescue you, it won't happen again."

"Something terrible has happened to you and you just mope and pity yourself and don't actually do anything,” Snape retorted.

That was it. He had done it. "You don't even know what you're talking about. You don't even know me!" Harry yelled in disgust. "I don't do that. I lost a leg for Merlin’s sake and you still insult me! I have a right to be upset! It isn't like I'm crying or anything! Why don't you just leave me the hell alone?"

"There you go, wallowing in your own self pity."

"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT WALLOWING! LEAVE ME THE BLOODY HELL ALONE!" Harry yelled as loud as he could, disgusted with Snape's lack of empathy. Harry was fuming and was in a bit of pain, but he tried not to think about it. He had faced Crucio before so why not this? However though it all, his eyes did not leave contact with Snape's.

Snape started to turn away. He didn't want to fight with the boy, and his head was beginning to ache just listening to him, but he did have to take control of the situation. "You will listen to me, and you will stop complaining.”

Harry head Snape’s voice, but he didn’t listen. No, he didn't want to be there anymore. He wanted to be anywhere else then there. He couldn't stand it any longer. Anyone else, anywhere else! "I DON'T HAVE TO-" Harry felt himself swish around, and he felt his head spin. Suddenly he couldn't see Snape in front of him anymore. It felt like he was being pulled by a Portkey, but without the hook feeling in his stomach. What was going on?

Harry landed with a thump on something soft. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at someone hovering over him. He realized that he was on a bed, and he backed up on it slowly. Where was he? It was pretty dark, and there were lots of beds around. It kind of reminded him of...the knight bus...

"Good evening, welcome to the Knight House. I'm Ford Hostel. And you are?"

"What? I’m where?" Harry asked. How could he be anywhere except with Snape in a basement. They had been trapped there by his wards. There was no way out. Was this some kind of Voldemort plot? Was he dreaming? How could he have possibly gotten out of the wards, and where was Snape? Not that he was really that concerned about that last question at the moment.

"You're at the knight house of course. The place where a witch or wizard goes when he doesn't want to be somewhere else...and he doesn't want to be found. You did send yourself here, right?'"

"Um..." Harry though for a moment, ‘I guess I did send myself here.’ "Yeah, yeah I did." ‘I should really get back to Dumbledore,’ Harry thought, ‘but maybe...I could stay for just a little while...’

"Well that'll be 10 shickles for the night, 12 if you want hot chocolate with marshmallows and a toothbrush," Hostel said.

Harry then realized that he didn't have any money. He fished around in his pocket, but there was just some old lint and nothing else.

"That's all right, Mr. Potter. You can have one night for free. But after that I'm afraid you'll have to work. How long are you planning to stay?"

Harry started when he heard Hostel use his name, but then he brought his hand to his forehead. His hair was all plastered back against his head from lack of showers lately and his scar was loudly broadcasting his identity to anyone he would happen to meet.

Harry started to brush his hair down over his scar ask he spoke, “Um...I don't exactly know if I can work. See, I kind of got a problem but..." Harry suddenly realized it probably wasn't the safest thing. No one could find out about his leg...What if Voldemort found out? Harry was here and he had to take his chances. Harry pointed to his leg as if Ford hadn't seen it.

"What? You think you're too good for workin’. Not that I'd disagree, but I'd heard things about you. Like you'd be nice to the house elves and help out with your relatives and such. Just thought I could get some help."

"I would help if I could but I got a problem and no one else can find out...Can I trust you?" What a stupid question, Harry thought.

"I dunno," Hostel said. "I don't trust me sometimes. But I forget things real quick, so you can probably tell me, and I won't remember to tell anyone else."

"Can’t you see that I don’t have a leg?" Harry asked getting slightly annoyed and he was getting an odd feeling from this very strange fellow.

"Er, I wasn't lookin there, but now that you mention it one of your legs does seem shorter than the other. So what? Does that affect your workin’ hands?"

"No I guess not, but I can't exactly walk"

"Well I got some potatoes that need peeling for dinner tomorrow and some carrots. I can bring um to you I recken'. But that's for tomorrow.”

"Er okay, I’ll do what I can to help" Harry said. "Is it alright if I take a nap?" Harry asked feeling slightly uncomfortable. He didn't know how to act or what to do. He couldn't walk, so he couldn't do much. "Do you have any books?"

"Er, let me take a look," Hostel walked over to a bookshelf a few paces away. "We've got your ‘Standard book of Spells Grade 3’, ‘Potable Potions’, ‘The Ministry and Why it Works.’ Oh and Wizardsland comics..."

"Uh..." They all sounded terrible. "The last one sounds good. Thanks a lot. Let me know when you have work for me to do. Bye the way...how long have people been known to stay here?"

"Wizards stay and can only stay as long as they need to." Hostel tossed the book to Harry. "I'll let you know about the work." And he walked out of Harry's line of sight.

Harry read comics for a little while but got bored pretty quickly. He saw a few people in beds across the room, and they were sleeping. He decided there was nothing else to do that so...he slept. Unfortunately for him and the other people at the knight house...it was not a dreamless sleep. He woke up screaming.

”What’s the matter dear,” Harry a woman’s voice. “You’re screaming something awful.”

Harry rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t even remember his dream. He looked over to the bed a couple feet away. "Sorry," he said. He didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry son. It's not the worst we've had around here. There was a banshee here last week. Is there something wrong? Oh never mind; of course there's something wrong or else you wouldn't be here. I’ll just mind my business, but if you want someone to talk to I'll be right over here."

"How long have you been here?" Harry asked ignoring all that. Could this lady be trusted...

"Oh this is my third year, but most don't have it so bad. I'm sure you'll be out of here before the week is done. Probably sooner."

"Year?! Why in Merlin’s name have you been here a year? Doesn't it get boring?"

"There are a lot of interesting people that come through here. I'm writing a book. Of course nobody will believe it, but somebody has to write it. So, what's your story? Nevermind, you don't have to say anything. I'll just mind my own business. But if you want to tell me, I'll be right over here ready to listen."

"My story is that I was stuck with someone I really hate and accidently apparated here during a fight." Harry was thankful he could leave it at that as his scar was covered by a patch of hair and his legless stub was covered by the blanked and some pillows he propped underneath

“Hmm, well that’s not very interesting. But you don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to. Nobody comes here by accident. I know at least that much. And nobody leaves here by accident. It has to be the right time. I’ve been waiting for three years.”

"What do you mean? I can't leave when I want to leave?"

"You can leave when you need to leave. Likely that will be when you want to if any of what you just told me is true."

"Oh well...why can't you leave? You said you have been wanting to."

"Yeah, but it's not safe for me out there I guess. I've been meddling in things I shouldn't and making people upset. I was just getting in trouble. You aren't a troublemaker are you?"

"Not exactly. Just tired of everyone I have to deal with. They don't care about me. All they care about-" Harry continued rambling and it turned into muttering and not understandable. He realized this and looked at the lady again. "So what now?"

“Oh nothing. Lunch is about to come ‘round I suppose. Tomato soup. I helped make it this morning. You do like tomato soup, right?”

"Oh tomato soup is great," Harry said politely even though he had a strong disliking for it. A woman in an apron came around with bowls of soup magically floating behind her. "Come get your lunch! Get it while it's hot!"

"Thank you." He sipped it. It was a little too hot so he sipped it slow.

back in Snape’s basement…

Snape turned as he heard a popping sound beside him. The shape that was Harry’s body under the blanket just…disappeared. Snape ran to the blanket and patted it flat with his hands. Potter was definitely gone. But then Snape noticed something else. The air felt freer; he couldn’t snese the magical barrier anymore. Snape walked cautiously towards the fireplace and put his hand through. Nothing stopped him. The barriers must have vanished with Potter. Snape gathered the few things that he had brought along with him and prepared to apparate out of the house towards Hogwarts. He knew that he would have to tell Dumbledore what happened, and he knew that he would have to find the boy. For a short moment, Snape wondered if he shouldn’t just stay in the basement for a few more moments as it would likely be the last peace that he saw for a long time.