Similarities by EnchantedUnicorn

Chapter 2


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: This is my own universe. Thank you for all the reviews that have told me how to improve my story! Also, I have a poll going, if any of you want to check it out.

"Tha' useless freak?" Tobias sneered distastefully. "He 'as done somethin' wrong 'gain, hasn' he?"

Agent Charles clenched his fists furiously. Apparently, this man did not love his son as he should. "As a matter of fact, he hasn't," he spat. "Why do you think he has?"

Tobias, whose mind was foggy and unclear from alcoholic overdose, replied, "He's always in trouble. Got tha' from his dead mothe'."

Agent Charles's eyes narrowed as his lips thinned. "How did she die?" he demanded. If that bastard killed her, then he deserved to be sentenced to jail until his last breath.

Tobias's eyes flickered hesitantly with surprise for a moment, before he uncaringly shrugged. "Suicide," he lied swiftly.

For what reason? Agent Charles thought. No longer wanting to cope with her abusive husband? He glanced over at his partner, who too looked confused. Finally, Agent Rory spoke up. "How is your son doing at school?"

"That stupid brat?" he scoffed. "He's an idiot, apart from Scien', which is a usele' subject."

"I see," Agent Rory hissed, his fists clenched with suppressed rage. Science as a useless subject? If he studied science, specifically psychology, he would have realized how brutally he was treating his child, physically and mentally. And calling his own son 'stupid'? That was just unheard of. "How do you treat Severus now?"

"Give hi' a good thrashin' when he needs it," Tobias responded unthinkingly, too dizzy to care. "Now ge' out of my house now!"

That muscular man beat his thin and helpless son. Not a good match. "No," Agent Charles denied firmly. "Now, please call Severus out here." He wanted to see how the father treated Severus.

"I wanna warrant," Tobias growled coldly. "Else I'll have you two arrested for this!"

Agent Charles shoved a piece of crumpled paper into the man's hand. "There. You have it. Now call out Severus or else I will charge you for child abuse."

The words barely registered in Tobias's head as he repeated, "Child abuse? Child abuse?! I ain't abusing my son! Boy!" he called disbelievingly.


Severus sharply jolted upright on his bed when he heard his name being called. His father was home! He was going to receive a beating! But wait… where were the two agents- Agent Rory and Charles as they called themselves? Probably talking to his father about whatever they wanted to talk about. Maybe he would be spared this night? Silently trudging out to the living room, he was greeted by the same, old drunken face of his father. "Yes sir?" he inquired nervously, noting the presence of the two other adults.

"Are you abused, boy?" his father spat menacingly.

Severus flinched at the unexpected question and stared at the ground, pondering over it. Was he abused? His father always beat, thrashed, and sometimes starved him, but still…. Severus frowned. That wasn't called abuse. That was called discipline. Raising his head, he shakily answered, "N-No sir."

"Well, you see?" Tobias gestured, turning back to the agents. "He's not!"

Agent Rory raised an eyebrow with disbelief. "Really." The boy clearly showed signs of abuse before. And furthermore, all abusive parents claim that they do not abuse their child, why should this one be any different? Most children defend their parents.

"There is only one way to find out," Agent Charles stated out of years of experience. "Severus, lift your shirt."

Severus gulped. Why did he have to lift his shirt again? They were probably going to have a laugh or mock his scars. It would be too humiliating. Severus silently pleaded to the adults with wide, obsidian eyes.

Tobias did not get the message, however he spoke for himself. "He ain't like showing himself off."

Instead of speaking on Severus's behalf, he was trying to save his own skin. Agent Charles knew that, and said, "I have a warrant, which gives me permission to search." He turned to Severus and requested politely, "Would you please?"

Severus reluctantly turned around and hiked up his shirttail, wincing as the rough fabric scraped over his skin. He felt the agents scrutinize his back, before slim hands gently lowered his shirt and covered his back again.

Agent Charles gritted his teeth to control himself as he finally received the full blow of how cruelly the boy was abused. Those welts were fresh, there were dozens of blue bruises, and it looked unbearably painful. But… as least so far he hadn't seen any signs of the worst type of abuse: sexual abuse.

"Severus will be coming with us," Agent Charles informed Tobias coldly.

At the drunk man's befuddled look, the other agent said, "We need to interrogate him on a few issues."

A small, sickly smile showed on Tobias's face. "Fine," he spat. "An' keep him if you wanna."

Agent Rory's eyes hardened into stones at the last statement. "Oh, we will," he whispered threateningly. Severus's eyes widened. Were they kidnapping him? Police do not kidnap… well only the bad ones do.

"And we'll bring up charges too," Agent Rory added as an afterthought. Severus breathed a sigh of relief. Their main target wasn't him, but his father, apparently. But still… if he was taken away from his father, he would be sent to an orphanage, which he definitely did not want.

Tobias sneered at Agent Rory. "Try to," he said. "I'm 'nnocent."


Severus dozed off in the darkness by the rhythmic up and down motion of the police car. While his thoughts wandered in oblivion for minutes and minutes with no end, he was finally awakened by the abrupt halt of the car. Groggily, he sat up and forced his eyes open. They were greeted by the faint symbol of the police department. Inwardly, out of tension, he swore. What were they going to do to him?

He snapped out of his thoughts as Agent Rory opened the door of the car and gestured him to come out. "Are you worried about what we are going to do to you?" he asked softly.

Severus timidly nodded his head. How did he know?

"Well, let me brief you up a bit," Agent Rory said.

Severus's eyebrows shot up. Wow. He sounded… casual. Like a young man. Wait… he is young. Looks like he is only in his twenties. Unlike the other. "Yes sir," he nodded. Some of his anxiousness slipped away.

"We will interrogate… you do know what that means, do you not?" Agent Rory asked, looking at Severus expectantly. Severus nodded, and he continued. "If things go well," Agent Rory stated that in a tone that implied the opposite, "We will send you back home. If not, then we will keep you for the night, and deal with you in the morning."

Severus's frame went rigid. Keep him for the night? Deal with him? Were they going to punish him for one of his father's crazy infractions? Trembling, he hunched his shoulders and followed the agents into the building.

He was led into a surprisingly clean room with two sofas, newer than any he had ever seen before in his whole life. "Sit," Agent Rory commanded gently.

Warily, Severus obeyed, eying Agent Charles fearfully. For some reason, he felt as if Agent Rory was more affable than Agent Charles.

"Do you love your father, Severus?" Agent Rory inquired, taking out his notepad.

Severus stared at the tiled floor. Did he love his father? His father who was always either shouting out orders at him or beating him up? Was that called love? His father certainly did not love him. But did he love his father? Would he die for his father? No. Unable to admit that, Severus said quietly, "I-I-I do not know, sir." He then flinched. Impertinence was never tolerated in his household.

"Severus," Agent Rory growled, tilting the boy's head up. "A yes or no answer, please. We are here to help you."

Severus gulped. The agents probably already knew that he didn't love his father, so it would make no difference if he said it for himself. "No sir."

"Good," Agent Rory said.

Severus ducked his head and did not reply. Why was not loving his father good? Sons were supposed to love fathers, and vice versa. But his family was different. For one reason only: his father.

"Severus," Agent Rory said, with a hint of edge in it, making the boy's head snap up at once. "If your father is… angry, what does he do?"

Severus bit his lip. The agent knew again, yet he was asking him. Was this another form of torture for him? "H-H-He... t-t-takes off his b-belt…." Severus trailed off, wondering if Agent Rory got the idea.

Agent Rory's breath caught up in his throat. "And? Does he touch you in weird places? Places you do not want to be touched?" he urged, hoping for the best. If the boy was sexually abused….

Severus shook his head slowly. His father would never want to touch a freak like him. "H-He just hits me with it," he stated softly. Then, as if upon instinct, he cringed, looking out for his father who might pop out in the middle of nowhere and punish him for telling the truth.

"It's alright, Severus," Agent Rory assured the frightened boy, inwardly breathing a small sigh of relief. "You can say anything while we are here." He then looked at his colleague. "Anything else needed to be added?"

Agent Charles, upon the sudden attention, looked surprised. He cleared his throat. "Ahem. Yes. Severus, do you know how your mother died?"

Severus nodded. He remembered it all too well. The kitchen knife, slashing her throat, creating the severe cut… he would never forget that moment. Why his mother did not use magic to protect herself, he did not know.

"It was not by suicide, was it?" Agent Charles questioned thoughtfully.

Severus paled. How did he know? "N-N-N-No, sir," he admitted, barely audibly.

Agent Charles frowned. He had not expected his assumption to be correct. "How did she die, then?" he asked gruffly.

Severus flinched, the voice very much reminding him of Tobias. "Sh-She was… murdered," he answered tersely.

The two agents gasped. "By whom?" Agent Charles enquired. If Severus was not lying, it was probably Tobias.

Severus knew he couldn't say the truth. He did not know why, but he felt as if… he should save his heartless father and prove his (not genuine) innocence on this issue. Probably because it was his father who provided him food and shelter all these years. "I-I-I… d-do n-not know, s-sir," he stammered. "I-I a-apologize."

Agent Charles grit his teeth. Why was this so difficult? They were running off topic, and Severus did not seem to be willing to share any information. Taking a deep breath, he said sternly, "Severus. Do you lie to adults?"

I do, Severus thought. To survive. "Y-Yes sir," he replied truthfully, cowering back. He knew that adults, especially authorities, did not appreciate being lied to.

Agent Charles groaned. That was not the answer he had been expecting. "Then don't. Tell us the truth. We are here to help you, as Agent Rory put it."

Severus remained stubborn. He couldn't reveal the truth, he just couldn't! "A-As I s-said bef-fore, I-I do n-not know," he stuttered. "Sir," he added weakly, raising his hands to protect his face from the impending blows that were sure to come.

Agent Charles stared disbelievingly at the broken child before him. "Severus," he sighed. "I'm not going to hit you."

Embarrassed, Severus slowly lowered his arms, alert. Adults did not always mean their word. Take his father, for example.

Agent Rory frowned as he listened to the interaction between the two. Finally, he decided to try a different approach. "Severus," he said, catching the boy's attention. "We know it was your father."

Agent Charles shot his partner a what-on-earth glance. What? he screamed in his mind. We do not! Then, it hit him like a block, that Agent Rory was testing the boy. He smiled to himself, marveling at the other man. Agent Rory, though he was new to the job, was more cunning than he originally thought.

Severus eyes widened at Agent Rory's statement. How did he know? Sir will kill me if he gets arrested. But how does he know? Severus's face turned as white as sheet as he stammered, "S-S-Sir… p-p-please…."

"So it was your father?" Agent Charles said, with a deep frown.

Severus nodded absentmindedly, too anxious to care. "Y-Y-Yes s-sir… b-but p-p-please, s-sir… d-don't…," he pleaded shamelessly.

Agent Charles sighed. "Severus, abuse may only raise charges, but murder is a much more serious issue. He can't get away with it," he informed the boy apologetically.

Severus lowered his head. "Yes sir," he whispered dejectedly.

Agent Rory, feeling sorry for the boy, added, "Of course, we need to testify a few things."

Severus shrugged. It didn't make any difference; his father was guilty, and with that ignorant brain of his, his father was sure to prove that himself.

The two agents led him down a corridor, with a sign with the word CHILD ABUSE printed on it, and into a cozy room where he would sleep for the night. Severus noticed there was food on the table, but ignored it, knowing it was not for a freak like him. He muttered his thanks, and in the darkness, snuggled into the warm covers. The lemon-scent was fresh, and the blankets were amazingly clean. It was something heavenly he had never experienced in a long time, though he should have. Gradually, his eyelids forced their way closed, and Severus dozed off in peace, dreamlessly.

He woke up in the morning with thin beams of sunlight streaming through the windows. For a moment, he forgot where he was. Certainly not his house, his house which always was dark and gloomy. But memories quickly flooded back to him. With sudden realization, he jumped off the bed, and silently left the room, looking for anyone who could help him.

He encountered a young lady recording something down in a notebook. She did not seem to notice Severus's presence until he called timidly, "M-Ma'am?"

Her head snapped up. "Yes? How may I help you, dear?" she inquired kindly.

Severus bit his lip nervously. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted, he just needed help. "Wh-Wha… M-May I g-go h-home n-now, m-ma'am?" he asked quietly.

The lady peered at Severus through her eyeglasses, noting the bruise on the boy's bony cheek. She guessed that he was from the 'Child Abuse' department. "Let me just contact your agents. Which ones were they?"

Severus thought she was talking about the two agents he met the day before, so he answered shakily, "A-Agent R-Rory a-a-and A-Agent Ch-Charles, m-ma'am."

"Very well dear, let me just phone them," the lady said, already reaching for the phone.

"M-M-Ma'am? Th-There is n-no n-need to d-d-disturb th-them," he hastily assured her, shying away at the same time. Couldn't he just control his horrid mouth? He should never direct an elder to do something, else he would be punished.

The lady's hand halted in midair. "It's alright, sweetie," she said. "For now, you are their responsibility."

Severus's brow furrowed. Why was he their responsibility? No one should care for a freak like him. They had better children to look after.

The lady picked up the phone and quickly dialed a few numbers, before rapidly speaking. "Child department front desk here… Agent Rory and Agent Charles… yes, yes… great, thank you.…" She put the phone back on the receiver and turned back to Severus. "They will be here shortly," she informed him.

Severus nodded. "Thank you ma'am," he whispered gratefully. He backed up into a corner and waited patiently for the agents to appear.

They arrived shortly. "Severus," greeted the two of them.

Severus tensed instinctively as his name was spoken. His father never said his name, only the teachers and his classmates. Teachers all scared him, and most of his classmates were cruel or unfair to him. Lily, thankfully, called him by Sev most of the time, not Severus. And Petunia too.

"Sirs," he returned, inclining his head politely. The word felt strange as it rolled off his tongue.

"Do you have to go to school?" Agent Rory questioned, his heart the same– warm.

Severus's eyes widened as he remembered. "Y-Yes s-sir," he stammered, his heart beating faster. "S-Sir? C-Can I go n-now? I-I c-can't b-be l-late for sc-school, s-sir." Ms. Mina had warned him to not be tardy again. Only God knew what she would do to him if he was.

"Relax, Severus," Agent Rory said soothingly. "It is only seven in the morning."

Severus blushed as he hid behind his dark hair and shuffled his feet on the ground. It is? Looking up into the eyes of the agent, he quickly ducked his head and said, "I-I'm s-s-sorry, s-sir."

"It's fine, Severus," Agent Rory reassured the boy. "Stop apologizing." He gently placed a hand on the terrified boy's shoulder.

Severus cringed away from the touch. Squeezing his eyes shut, he repeated, "Y-Yes s-sir. Sorry– Sor–"

"It's alright," Agent Charles's voice interrupted him sharply. Severus flinched. "Now, I believe we need to send you to school as we… solve a few issues?" he continued, trying his best to not comment on the flinch.

Severus looked up fearfully at the intimidating man before him. "I-I w-would… a-a-appreciate it, s-sir," he replied stiffly.

"Very well, let's go now. After you eat and get examined by the doctor, we will go retrieve your school items. You may shower if you would like to," Agent Charles declared.

Agent Rory stared at his colleague with adulation, wondering how on Earth was he able to get things done so quickly.


Ms. Mina was ambling to school when she spotted the familiar figure standing at the playground. Slowly walking up, she greeted, "Good morning, Severus."

Severus, who was engrossed in his library book, winced at his name and dropped it. Peering up with blank, obsidian eyes, he said, "G-G-Good m-morning, ma'am."

Ms. Mina smiled at the boy before her as she bent down to pick up the book on the ground. Severus quickly murmured his thanks.

Ms. Mina noticed that the dark circles which usually were under the boy's eyes weren't there. "How was your night?" Ms. Mina inquired curiously.

Severus managed a tight smile in return. "I-It was… f-fine. B-Better than usual." He didn't receive a thrashing, and he had a dreamless sleep, which was good, but it was repeatedly said that his father might be put to prison or so.

Ms. Mina nodded, having a warm feeling in her heart to finally have helped the abused boy. "That's good," she stated softly. "Have a nice day."

Severus nodded politely. "And you too, ma'am," he said quietly.

As she walked away, millions of thoughts raced into Severus's mind. Ms. Mina cared about him. A freak like him. Not only that, but she helped him pick up his library book. And she did not scold or punish him for damaging it or getting it dirty. She was the nicest person, apart from his mother, Lily, and Petunia, he had ever met.


"I do not abuse my son!" Tobias shouted insistently. "He is a spoilt brat who needs to know his place!"

Agent Rory raised a challenging eyebrow. "Right. You don't. Those scars on his back were made on accident. And all that flinching and cowering is because he thinks we are sadists about to kiss him," he agreed sarcastically.

"Exactly!" Tobias exclaimed indignantly.

Agent Rory bit back a smile as the other agent rolled his eyes. "Well, you do abuse Severus. It is obvious," said Agent Charles, going back on topic.

Before Tobias could reply, Agent Rory continued, "Now. To another issue. It had come to our attention that you have committed murder."

Tobias paled visibly as he listened to the words. "Who told you that?" he demanded, slamming his fist onto the table. "Did the freak tell you that?"

"So you did murder your wife?" Agent Rory hissed furiously, rage boiling up inside him at the word 'freak'.

"No! I didn't!" Tobias hastily tried to cover up. A little too hastily. "Why would I kill her?" he scoffed carelessly.

Agent Rory pursed his lips. Because of the tone of voice you just used when you mentioned her, he thought. "Well, the Crown will decide if you're guilty or innocent," he said. "But, either way, you will be charged for child abuse."

"I'm telling you again, I do not abuse the boy!" Tobias exploded.

Agent Rory rolled his eyes. "Right. I never even heard you call Severus by his proper name," he remarked.

Tobias, realizing that, threw his hands up in defeat. "Well, I still do not abuse the f– Severus," he spat.

"And we still don't believe you," Agent Charles growled menacingly, catching the slip. "Officers," he gestured to the two men behind him.

Agent Rory turned to look at Tobias with cold eyes, challenging him to say do something while the officers walked forward. They restrained Tobias, led him out of the house, and locked him in the back compartment of the police car, before driving off.


Afterschool, Severus spotted Agent Rory's and Agent Charles's familiar police car beside the pavement. "What do you think that police car is there for?" Lily whispered to him, her emerald eyes twinkling with excitement.

Severus clutched his friend's hand tightly. Lily was the only one he willingly had contact with, with her knowing about his abuse and understanding it too. "They're here for me," he informed her quietly.

Lily turned her bright, innocent eyes upon Severus. "Why?" she asked.

"I-I don't know," Severus replied. "But they want to arrest my dad."

Lily nodded. "That's good," she stated softly. "You can be free from him."

Severus shook his head. Being with his father was better than being alone, uncared for. "Orphanages are bad," he said.

Lily giggled happily. "Which is why you can come live with us!" she grinned.

Severus felt tears sharply prick his eyes at the statement. That was why Lily was his best and only friend. Because she cared. Not pitied.


A/N: Another chapter up! Still going by Severus, I know. But you want a 10,000+ word story, I am telling you, this will be one (obviously)! Maybe… 15,000+? We'll see how it goes.

Please review! Positive criticism will be appreciated!