It was a shock to Snape that the black haired boy humming absently was his supposed savior. He swayed against his tune, his bright green eyes gliding over the darker shape in front of him, a garish opposition to the bright summer's day.
"Who's at the door, Love?" a woman called form inside, her harsh voice soft with concern.
"It's a bat. Oh, let's hurry with a net before it flies away!" Harry said.
A largely obese man grunted as he rounded the corner, only to start and then stop suddenly at the sight of Snape. "No, child, not a bat, a Magician."
Harry nodded slowly before a small, sleepy smile seeped across his face and he moved to clasp the pale man's hand. "Inside, Magician," he whispered and led the man through the threshold and into the imaculate house. The fat man nodded to Snape and turned to re-enter the living room. Harry began to hum as he pulled the Magician in to a lush chair and then sat at his feat, head angled as a dog might when expecting to be pet. Hesitantly, Snape let his fingers run through the silk that was the child's hair. Harry's eyes closed briefly in pleasure before snapping open to watch a emaciated woman as she clicked off the television.
"Hello, Severus, was it?" she began and continued when he nodded, "Yes, I thought it was you. I am sad to say the years have not been kind to either of us. Am I to believe you are here in regards to the letter sent and replied to previously?" Again Snape only nodded in bewilderment so that agian she could continue. "Yes, you see, we requested on eof the staff's presence for a few reasons actually. One of them being, as you can quite clearly see, is that Harry's not exactly alright per say. In the head."
They both glanced at the boy, now tapping his fingers in rapid succesion on his lap, now humming a new sound. Snape grimaced at the implications, aware, even after such short time, that that they were true. "Oh, he's exceedingly smart, a genius the teachers called him and so he skipped several levels, but I worry emencely of his interactions with other students. The children here know of his," here she paused, here she saught, "perdicament and coupled with our own son's protection, he is not ridiculed, but I fear that in a new environment he very well may be. I ask that you watch over him, make sure he comes to no harm."
Snape nodded as he looked in new light at the Boy-Who-Lived. "You have my word I will watch over him."
She sighed and seemed to deflate in relief before filling up again with a frigidness that spread over to her larger husband. With a shared glance, she hurried forward. "Of course, there is one other, not-so-easily-fixed problem," she whispered and Snape became suddenly very wary of the next happenings. She cleared her throat and moved to touch Harry's shoulder, motioned to a baby piano in the corner of the room, to which he immediately began. As his started to play, Snape became somewhat horrified. The music emitting from the instrument was not a kindly piece, in no way something a child of any standing should be playing. "He appears, for all intents and purposes, to be greatly disturbed."
As the terror that was Harry's masterpiece continued through the room, Snape grew cold. "How can this be?"
What she had planned to say next was cut off as a large child of about Harry's age waddled into the room and over to the piano, sat on the bench and proceeded to weep while Harry smiled. She squeezed her eyes shut and took in a deep breath. "It has been for always that his music makes one weep, the words both written and spoken will beg one forget happiness. It is not well to have him in the house, but I fear his actions should we attempt to remedy the situation. Please, Severus, be sure, he does not harm others."
The inexorable feeling of unfairness washed over Snape and as he opened his mouth to sneer of not being a Keeper, Harry began to laugh and pound the keys, now vocal in his insanity, now plain in his aillment. Snape blanched and quickly nodded. "I will be sure to keep close watch over him."
Again she became flat with relief and this time it stayed as she rose and led Snape out. "I can't thank you enough," she whispered and closed the door.
Sanpe walked down the path, the throws of laughter and cruel notes chasing him to oblivion. In the house next door, a man sat rocking on the porch. "God save his soul," he said to Snape.
