Disclaimer: the Harry Potter universe is not mine I have no claim to it I just enjoy convoluting it on occassion. It actually belongs to JKR so that's unfortunate...

Chapter One: Licentia

Privet Drive 17th August 02:07 A.M.

Harry stumbled. It had never been this bad before. Usually his Uncle would just beat him to near death and leave him to crawl to the sanctuary of his cupboard. Never, had he thrown him outside by the collar of his already torn t'shirt like a stray, unwanted, unloved animal. Of course Harry knew that that was how his 'family' considered him. Like a dog. He hadn't known his real name was Harry until his first day of school; always having been called "BOY" or "FREAK" by his relatives.

His teeth were chattering and goosebumps were littering his barely clothed body. Harry knew that he would not be able to reach the safety of his cupboard. The one place in his relatives' house that he considered to be his home, and the one thing that kept Dumbledore's protective charms from falling. He had to consider the place home, and with his one home gone and unreachable; those protective wards came crashing around him. Of course nobody except him and the Great Headmaster Dumbledore knew this...

Dumbledore's office 17th August 02:08 A.M.

Sirens were blasting and miscellaneous silver instruments were whirring in a disorentating fashion. Alarms were going off left, right and centre throughout the expanse of the great wizard's chambers. The entire place had crashed from a blissful, eutopian silence into utter anarchy within mere seconds.

Albus Dumbledore hobbled out of his bed muttering curses under his breath whilst mindlessly sending off silencing charms on to all of his monitoring equipment. "What in the blazes of hell fire has that idiot boy managed to do to himself this time?" At two in the morning, even Dumledore wasn't at his best and brightest. The wards monitor on Privet Drive however caught his eye almost immediately. It was broken in two as if to indicate 'Damn' he thought; the wards had fallen.

His mind flew into a stage of panic. Dreadful scenarios flitting through his conscience, how had he been so unobservant as to possibly let his well molded tool; his most prized weapon, come to any harm, well any unplanned harm.

Calm he must be calm. "Call Severus. He can check on the boy, and if it's all fine I'm sure he'll knock some sense into that idiot child. And really he'll do the same even if everything's not." Oh how he'd enjoyed manipulating Severus like that, a little well payed money to his father to bash him around a bit during the summer, not unlike Potter really, and Snape had turned into his most formidable ally, willing to do whatever his bidding may be; except when it came to Potter. It was this alone that made him perfect to carry out this task.

Resolved as to what he had to do, Albus roughly grabbed the floo powder jar off of the mantel-piece and haphazardly thrust some into the roaring flames whilst declaring in a commanding voice "Severus Snape, Spinner's End" and then leaning back to wait for the response.

Prince Manor 17th August 02:47 A.M.

Severus couldn't sleep his mind simply kept flicking back and forth through nonsense seemingly unable to quieten and relax. He was used to this, but it didn't stop him from becoming increasingly irritated with his consciousness and wishing endlessly that sleep would just take him over. Even his usual night-mare plagued sleep was better than this prolonged and ardous torture in this awakened form.

He was seriously considering retrieving a Dreamless Sleep potion when a house elf, dressed in blue satin with the Prince family crest enamoured in white on the left brest pocket, entered his sleeping chambers. "Mittzy is terribly sorry Master Snape but you have a floo call at Spinner's End house Sir. It is being from Mister Dumbldore Sir, and you is saying that you didn't want Mister Dumbledore to know about the Manor Sir, so Mittzy is telling Mister Dumbledore that I is to fetch you right away Sir."

Blast that bumbling fool of a Headmaster. What could he want at this convoluted time of day. "This had better be good." He growled as he stalked across his bed chambers, threw on a black button-up robe and proceded to apparate to what Dumbledore thought was his home.

Of course he hadn't wanted Albus to know about Prince Manor, he'd have likely schemed his way into making it the permanent Head Quarters of the Order. No. Severus certainly did not want that to happen to his lovely manor house and so had persuaded the Headmaster that he did not own it and that it had passed to one of his distant cousins when his Grandparents had died. He'd only managed this because of the hatred portrayed by his Grandparents to him when in the company of the Headmaster. This had all been faked though, Severus in actual fact had gotten on like a house on fire with his Grandparents, no it was his father they had hated. They were still blood supremasists though liberal ones, but they couldn't bring themselves to accept their son-in-law who was a cynical bastard at best and an abusive drunk not even at his worst.

It was because of this that Severus was currently having to bounce between houses like a yo-yo to pander to his master's demands.

Spinner's End and Dumbledore's Office 17th August 02:52 A.M.

"Headmaster" Severus greeted cordially as he approached the fire side from the direction of the bedroom that he had just apparated into.

"Severus" The Headmaster replied in his usual tone of bussiness.

"What has happened this time?" Snape asked exasperatedly, dreading the answer.

"I'm afraid my dear boy that you're not going to like this. I need you to check on Harry, I believe that something drastic may have occurred and I need you as one of my most trusted, to check over the situation for me."

Severus knew that there was no way in this universe that he was going to be able to squirm his way out of this one, Albus had used that tone. The one that everyone dreaded. The one that made it sound like a request but really you knew that it was an order.

Resigned to his fate of having to go and check over the Potter brat Severus replied in the only way he knew how "Fine Headmaster but be warned I will not Mother him and if he has played this up you should know that I will not be impressed. I will be firm with the brat Albus, you of all should know this."

"I do know that Severus and in fact I would expect nothing less of you. However I do not think that even Harry would be able to pull this off without something being wrong."

That sentiment made Severus all the more curious and he found himself asking "What has happened Headmaster?"

"The wards have fallen." Dumbledore replied briskly and with that withdrew from the floo conversation.

"Shit" That was bad, really bad. Hurrying to check on the son of his childhood love, Severus drapped a cloak around his person and apparated nearby to Privet Drive with a distinctive 'Pop'.

Thanks for reading guys! Comments are always appreciated and I'm going to try to be dedicated with this fic so you'll probably get an update around once a fortnight.