Molly Weasley pondered Minerva McGonagall’s brief message as she absent -mindedly prepared tea. She had a suspicion, more from what Minerva didn’t say than what she did that tea would definitely be needed. With that thought in mind, she let herself drift back to Harry’s arrival at the burrow earlier in the day. Not that his arrival was any different than the last few times. Well, maybe more calm! Nothing could compare to the summer the boys picked him up in Arthur’s car. She shuddered remembering that episode! Still, there was something about the way he looked, more particularly the look in his eyes. Usually those bright green eyes sparkled merrily. Today they had looked….blank. That was it. And then, when she had reached out to hug him as she always did, he shied away, as though he expected her to hit him, not hug him.

“Molly, when did Minerva say that they’d be dropping in?” Arthur Weasley asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

“About 8:00, Arthur. Do you have any idea why they needed to see us so suddenly? Has something happened at work?”

“Not that I know of, and I pretty much see or hear of everything that’s going on, whether I want to or not.” He answered, taking a biscuit from the plate his wife had just set on the table. “If you want a guess, I think it has something to do with Harry.”

“Did you notice how – flat – his eyes seem?”

“Erm, no, I was thinking more of the way his face has changed, and how tall he’s gotten. He really doesn’t look very much like James anymore, and except for his eyes, he doesn’t look much like Lily either.”

“What are you talking about Arthur Weasley, of course he looks like Lily and James!” Molly exclaimed indignantly.

“Molly, if I didn’t know better, I’d say he looks a lot more like a certain potions master than he does his parents.” Arthur said as he sat down.

Molly stared at her husband in astonished silence, totally at a loss for words. She was saved from the necessity of thinking of an answer when they heard the four “pops” indicating their visitors had arrived.

“Molly, Arthur. It’s good of you to allow us to impose on you at such short notice.”

“Professor, you know you are always welcome in our home. Won’t you all please sit at the table? I thought perhaps some tea with our meeting…”Molly said as she gestured to the fully set kitchen table.

Silence cloaked the cheery room as all present seated themselves at the table. Molly quietly poured the strong tea and passed the biscuits around. When all had been served, Albus cleared his throat and began speaking.

“You must be wondering what would bring all of us to your house so late in the evening. I must ask that you hear me out before you ask any questions. There have been times in the last few years that I have become concerned with how Harry was faring during his summers home. I always ask a staff member or someone that I can trust to check on him unobtrusively. Earlier this summer I asked Remus if he would stop by and look in on Harry before returning to his teaching job at Hogwarts. What he found there is very disturbing. Remus, if you would please.”

“Certainly. I disguised myself as a muggle repairman and….”

Severus tuned out Lupin’s words as he considered what they would find when Harry finally joined them. There could be no doubt that another place would have to be found for him. It was inconceivable that Harry would want to stay with him. What did he know of being a father? Even if Harry could bring himself to believe the truth, would it be wise for them to live at Snape Manor when Voldemort was on the loose? He looked up from his thoughts to find Dumbledore’s kind eyes on him. I wonder if he really can read minds, Severus mused. The Weasley’s shocked comments returned his attention to the present.

“Albus, you can’t let him go back there! Molly and I would be more than happy for him to stay here, you know that.”

“As you’ve told me many times. While it’s safe for you to have him for short periods of time, it simply isn’t safe for him or for your family to have him for long stretches of time, such as during the summer. I have an idea or two for the future, but for now, we should talk with Harry. Could you please call him in?”

Molly Weasley swiftly left to retrieve Harry. When the kitchen door closed behind her, Arthur leaned forward and said softly to the quiet potions master “That’s not all there is to this story is it?”

“What do you mean, Arthur?” he said with a contained look in his eyes.

“Severus, I’m not blind. Harry has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. I can count too, and I clearly remember that Lily was once married to you. He’s your son isn’t he?”

Severus remained silent while he tried to figure out an answer to this frontal attack.

“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me too, but you had better figure out a way to let Harry know soon before someone else does.”

Conversation abruptly stopped as the kitchen door opened and Mrs. Weasley came in with a tall, wary young man. All four professors gazed with some astonishment on Harry, surprised, even though they had been warned, at just how different he looked. No longer was his face rounded, now the sharp angles of his cheekbones clearly showed. His hair was black, shoulder length, and slightly wavy. Even though his clothes were ill fitting and worn to the point of being threadbare, it was obvious he had grown at least six inches since the end of school, and his shoulders were perceptibly wider. It was the lost, haunted look in his emerald green eyes that finally brought Albus to speak.

“Harry, please sit down and join us.”

“Headmaster, am I in trouble?” Harry asked uncertainly as he sat down next to Mrs. Weasley. He couldn’t think of any reason why his professors would need to see him before the term started, and the presence of Snape usually indicated trouble.

“I have a confession to make Harry. For years now I’ve been sending wizards by the Dursley’s house to check up on you, make sure that you were doing all right. This year it was Professor Lupin’s turn to check in on his way back to Hogwarts. You had heard he was returning as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?” Here the headmaster paused as Harry shook his head “no” and grinned at Lupin. “I can see that news pleases you! He waited for several hours hoping to see you, but when he didn’t, he entered the house.”

Harry’s eyes widened as he realized “You were the repairman! I thought he looked familiar! Um, why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

“Because I needed to get back to Hogwarts, and I didn’t want to scare your relatives. Harry, I saw your back.” Lupin said carefully.

Harry seemed to shrink into himself and his eyes examined the tabletop.

“Harry, we need to see what’s been happening before we can take steps to prevent it happening again. I’m going to have to ask you to take off your shirt.”

“But headmaster…”

“We need to see that everything is healing correctly too, dear.” Molly added.

With a loud sigh, Harry got up from the table, turning so he wouldn’t have to see their eyes as he took off his shirt. A gasp of horror echoed in the room as those gathered around the table got a good look at the tangled web of old scars and new cuts, bruises and scrapes that adorned the young man’s back. It was evident that the current crop of injuries were anything but an isolated event.

“Thank you Harry, you may sit down.” The Headmaster said.

As he sat down, Harry noticed Professor Snape staring at him with a glazed look on his face. He seemed shocked.

“Harry, why did they do that to you, who did that to you?” Minerva McGonagall queried, a rather sick look on her face.

“My Uncle. He and my Aunt don’t like wizards, or anything to do with magic. They keep hoping that if they make me do all the chores around the house and feed me very little that my magic will go away. They weren’t too happy having to take me back this summer after what happened to Dudley last year. When I got off the train at the beginning of the holiday, he told me that as I was going to be inflicted on them again, I could jolly well pull my weight for once. Which meant all the worst jobs in the house had to be done by me, and if they weren’t done during the time they allowed for me to do them, Uncle Vernon would beat me.” Harry explained to the tabletop, unable to meet the concerned eyes of those around him. “I think he broke some ribs earlier in the summer, I couldn’t lift my arms up and it hurt to breath, but it’s better now. Can I go up to Ron’s room now please?”

“In a moment Harry. How long have they been treating you this way?” Remus asked softly.

“They’ve always treated me like a servant, but never hit me like this until this summer.”

“Well then, it’s clear that you can’t go back there again. I think the Hogwarts staff would rise in revolt if I tried to! We will think of some other place for you Harry, one that will be a lot more pleasant.” Dumbledore added.

“May I go now?” He asked, getting up. Molly got up with him, carefully putting her arm around his shoulders.

“I’ll just go with you dear, I think I have something upstairs that will help you feel much better.”

As Harry left the room, Severus looked at him, his arms and legs sticking out of the frayed clothes, and asked “Potter, wherever did you get those awful clothes?”

Harry paused, a pained look on his face. “They’re my cousin’s. That’s all I have.”

Severus’ eyes turned toward the others to see them glaring at him.

“Great remark, Sev.” Remus said in a biting tone. “Didn’t you notice that when he’s not in his school robes he’s pretty much dressed that way?”

“Unfortunately I’ve never made a point of examining him closely.” Severus grated. “I will however, make sure that he is at least clothed better than that!”

“Arthur, thank you for your time tonight, and please thank Molly for the tea. If anything crops up in the next week, you know how to get ahold of me.” Albus closed the meeting.

As the professors quietly left the burrow and apparated to Hogsmead, Severus Snape had a look of extreme concentration on his face. The sort of look he normally wore when working with a complex potion. Remus, walking beside him toward the castle, watched with concern as the potions master wandered rather aimlessly through the forbidden forest. Severus came to an abrupt stop at the stairs into the castle.

“Sev, are you ok?”

“My name is Severus” he snapped almost without thinking. “You were right you know, I will have to tell him, and soon. I think after the first week of classes, when they are settling into the routine. Then he’ll at least have some structure in his life to fall back on.”

“You are assuming that he is going to be unhappy with the news that you’re his father?”

“I’m not a total idiot Lupin. Why would anybody want a greasy, nasty tempered former death eater as a father? I’m just hoping it doesn’t destroy what sanity that poor boy has left after this summer.”

“It’s obvious that you don’t know Harry very well. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at his reaction after the first shock.” Lupin quietly went up the stairs, leaving a bemused Severus Snape behind him.

“Harry, why didn’t you owl me about your uncle?” Ron asked as he stared in disbelief at Harry’s back while they dressed for breakfast.

“What would you have done, Ron, ridden in on your broomstick to save me?” Harry asked with a grin.

“I would have sent Bill to hex them into oblivion!” Ron explained.

Harry just laughed, comforted by his friend’s reaction.

“Boys, get a move on, we have a lot to do today!” Mrs. Weasley’s voice floated up the stairs.

“Coming Mum”

“Coming Mrs. Weasley”

As they thundered down the stairs both boys could smell breakfast. Seating themselves at the table with Ginny, Percy and Mr. Weasley, they could hear Mrs. Weasley’s voice floating down the stairs as she hustled the twins out of bed and into the kitchen.

“Right now, help yourselves, we have to get a move on so that we can floo to Diagon Alley today.” As Mrs. Weasley served the eggs a fierce looking owl flew in through the open window over the sink, a large bundle in its claws. It flew around the room once and dropped the package on Harry’s head, narrowly missing his plate.

Harry looked at the package blankly, he hadn’t been expecting anything. But it clearly said To: Harry Potter on it in bright purple writing. Upon opening it, he found several sets of slacks, some shirts, and a beautiful black and green jumper. He sat in astonishment looking at the bounty.

“Wow Harry, who sent you all that?” Ron eagerly asked.

Harry looked through the wrapping and the clothes, finally finding a small note saying “thought you might need these.”

“I don’t know Ron, there’s no signature on the card.”

“I bet Professor Lupin sent them” Ron said.

“Nah” Fred said “Don’t you think that he’d buy himself clothes if he had any money? My bet is on McGonagall, that’s the sort of think a woman would do.”

George weighed in with”My money’s on Dumbledore. You never know what that crazy man will do! Or if you really want a way out guess, how about Snape?”

While the children scoffed at that idea, Molly and Arthur looked at each other, realizing that was indeed the most likely answer.