AN: Ok, I admit 4 months is a bit longer between chapters than I had intended. I lost a lot of interest in this story when I realized that my outline was nothing but rehashes of better plots from other stories. Thankfully, I found my muse again and this will be worked on in more earnest.

This should go without saying, but if you recognize it, I don't own it. I'm just playing with Jo's toys.

The young potions professor took a deep breath before looking over himself. He didn't get a chance very often to wear muggle clothing, but when he had to he wanted to look nice. After checking his dark grey blazer, he made his way to the edge of the Hogwarts wards and apparated.

Elsewhere in the castle, Albus Dumbledore breaks the seal on an envelope and takes a lemon drop to calm his nerves.

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It was hot outside. It was hot and humid. While his relatives were inside enjoying the comfort of an air condition and cold drinks, young Harry Potter was tending the flower beds by hand. The only thing keeping him from passing out from the heat was a ration of water he kept in a canteen. "There is no strength without sacrifice" he reminds himself as he wipes sweat from his brow.

"Why do you want to be strong, child?" the familiar voice whispers in the back of his mind.

"So that I can prove my life is worth more than this" he whispers as he claws into the dirt, pulling a thorny weed out, slicing open his thumb. Immediately his thumb is in his mouth, cleaning the wound with his own saliva as best he can.

"Is that all? Just to prove to some...insects...that you are better than they are?"

He seethes as he looks at the family laughing at the television. "I want to make them hurt" he grits out, his hand trembling. He never felt his wound heal, leaving not a mark.

"You will, child...look at your thumb. This is but a taste of your power"

Harry looked down at his hand and his eyes went wide. He knew he cut his thumb open, but you would never know it. Realization hit him like a chocolate bar "I want more"

"Soon, child. Very soon."

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Severus Snape checked himself in a window of a small shop and straightened his blazer yet again before walking towards Privet Drive. "Thank Merlin for cooling charms" He thought to himself as he started counting house numbers. He felt a bit of resistance as he walked through the ward line, akin to walking past a strong fan, letting him know he was close.

He stood at the doorstep and lingered. Memories of the last time he talked to Petunia lingered in his mind and how she blamed him for corrupting her sister. Steeling himself, he raised his hand to knock but was stopped by a small voice to his right.

"If you are here to sell something sir, they won't like it." A small boy in rags said. The tremble in his voice was very familiar to the potions master. "You might want to just be on your way my" he flinched, "family can be a bit rough with door to door salesmen."

It's not easy to shock Severus Snape. He was a double agent in one of the most horrific wars known to modern wizard kind. He has seen things and done things that would give sane men nightmares. But he was not prepared to see those eyes again. Looking down at the child, he saw the eyes of his best friend, his first love, and his biggest regret. The potter hair having been kept under a dirty handkerchief that not only kept the sweat from his eyes, but his most noticeable scar was hidden as well.

He almost couldn't speak. This child couldn't't be Potter. Potters were spoiled, arrogant, vile creatures who lived to torment the weak. They lived to make lives miserable. They never wore anything but the best of clothing and had the best of everything. Something was wrong here. Very Wrong.

"Then I guess it is a good thing I am not here to sell anything, Mr." he stopped, this child may be a Potter by blood, but he was Lil's little boy. He cleared his throat before continuing "Harry, I am Professor Severus Snape, I will be taking you to get your school supplies. Lets go inside so that you can wear something...decent"

The little boy's eyes grew wide. It was real. It was all real and he really wasn't a freak. "It's alright to trust this one, child. He will not hurt you." the little voice whispered and he visibly relaxed.

"I'm not allowed to go inside until my chores are done" he sighed "these are the only clothes I have anyway" he huffed and looked down.

With a sneer the professor looked over at the door "Then, young man, I will need to inform your aunt that your chores are done and that we will be going" He went to turn the knob and found it wouldn't move. Before he could pull his wand to unlock the door, it opened and Severus Snape came face to face with Petunia Dursley.

"Hello, Tuney" He said, contempt dripping from each sylable.

"Severus, You look...normal. Would you like to come in for tea?" She said as she looked over his suit. Realization dawned on her as she noticed the envelope in his left hand. "You are here for...him." She spat, nodding over at the boy who was on his knees, resuming his duties with the flower bed.

"I would not be here, otherwise." His face slipping into his mask of nuetrality.

"I assumed that when someone would come to take him that he would be kept. We never wanted him in the first place, nor do we want him now. " Her nose lifted ever so slightly as she spoke. "Keep him, you were always closer to that sister of mine than I was."

"I do now know when we will return. When we do, I will take you up on your offer. We will have much to discuss" A hint of anger was not lost on the tall woman.

She jerked the child up by his arm and shoved him over to the stranger who spoke as if he knew his aunt. "Take him with you and don't darken my doorstep again, Severus"

"If only that were possible, Petunia." He muttered to himself as he looked down at his charge for the day. "Come, child, we have much to do today and I don't want to linger here more than I must."

"Where are we going, sir?" Harry almost whispered, not wanting to anger the man who towered over him.

"You will see, soon enough" Snape said as the two started to walk towards the end of Privet Drive.

"Your time is coming child, trust me" Harry couldn't fight the grin that spread.

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Somewhere under a stack of boxes, a wand twitched, knocking some dust off the end of it's own box. The old wandsmith was in his workshop, and never saw it.

AN2: I was floored by the story alerts I got on this. To those who have this set, I thank you. To my reviewers, I thank you too. If you have questions or comments, please send me a message or a review. I'll do my best to respond. Again, I accept and grow from constructive criticism, but please don't flame.