Chapter 1 - The Day After

Harry woke on the floor of the small hut with the pale early morning light streaming in through the small window. He picked up his glasses and slid them onto his face. Looking around he noticed that Dudley was still snoring soundly. His ribs ached slightly from sleeping on the hard stone floor. Harry sighed and carefully adjusted his position on the ground. As he lay there trying to get comfortable his thoughts were full of the storm from the night before and a deep longing to know if the letters would still come.

As the moments ticked passed Harry grew more and more disheartened by the lack of a letter arriving. By the time Aunt Petunia had woken up and roused Dudley, who demanded breakfast, Harry was sure that the person sending the letters had finally given up. Uncle Vernon must have thought the same thing as not long after Dudley woke He smiled at his wife and said smugly, "I told you didn't I? Knew we could get them to stop, we just had to wait them out."

Petunia looked at Harry and then back at Vernon and said, "What about the boy? What do we do with him now?"

Vernon glanced at Harry who was dirtier than normal, his hair was sticking up all over the place. Vernon gave Harry a look of pure dislike before turning his back on Harry and speaking to Petunia.

"We go on as we have always done. He should be grateful to us for taking in a freak like him. Besides, we still have work to do or this never would have happened in the first place" in a lowered voice that only Petunia could hear he said, "Remember the glass? We haven't squashed it out of him yet, and I'll be Damned if I let that kind of thing go on under my roof!" Vernon cleared his throat and harrumphed a little before saying in his usual blustery tone " Understand boy? Back to the way things have always been!" and that was that.

Harry sat very still for a few moments his eyes not coming up from floor where they had been focused for the last several minutes. He quietly tried to hold back the tears that he knew would fall from his eyes if he thought about Uncle Vernon's words to deeply. Back to the way it had been before the letters started to arrive. The mystery would never be solved. The letters had stopped coming, and neither Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon would never let him into the house before all of the letters had been cleared away. He would never know who had been so intent on reaching him. He would never know what made his aunt and uncle so frightened or treat him in the kindest way he had ever treated by them before. He would be back to the old ways of doing things, he just hoped that they wouldn't be worse for all the trouble he had caused them.

Aunt Petunia bustled about for a few moments before leaning down into Harry's face and snapping harshly at Harry "Stop being lazy Boy. Get up and help me pack. We are going home, and don't even think that you won't have a punishment for causing all of this nonsense." Petunia grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him roughly to his feet before saying, "I will have to find some extra little jobs for you around the house. I think should straighten you out."

All harry could say to that was "Yes Aunt Petunia." in a dull voice as he pushed down the disappointment and sadness that had threatened to overcome him a few moments earlier. Harry could do this. He could get through the summer and then maybe just maybe he could make some real friends at Stonewall. He hoped that the next month would go by quickly and that it wouldn't feel like a lifetime until he would be free of Dudley for a whole school year. That was the only bright point in Harry's left for the next two days.

After packing their things the Dursley's and Harry made their way back across the water in the small boat that uncle Vernon had rented the night before. They were bundled into the car and made their way to a small restaurant that was serving breakfast. Harry was made to stay sitting in the car while the family went in and had breakfast. While the Dursley's were inside Harry thought over and over again When School starts things will be different.

When the Dursley's came back out to the car aunt Petunia gave him a dry bran muffin and said snappishly "Don't eat it in the car, and be grateful." Harry wilted under the harsh tone of her words, and he sunk down as low as he could into the seat of the car. They arrived back at number 4 around two in the afternoon. The sun was shining and it was hot outside. As Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon got out of the car they told Harry to stay outside until they had destroyed all of the letters. Harry nodded, and sat on the grass in the side garden slowly eating the muffin he had not been given the chance to eat earlier. He closed his eyes and sang happy birthday to himself in his head and pretended that the muffin was his birthday cake.

Just as he had pushed the last of the muffin into his mouth Dudley came out of the house. The fat boy's face looking more pig like than normal. "I missed my favorite shows the last few days because of you." Harry sat there looking at Dudley warily knowing that something harsh would be coming from that direction, but until he knew what it was he didn't know how to defend himself from it and how much he could do and get away with it. He doubted that it would be very much. Dudley smirked, and said "Mummy and Daddy are taking me to get cake and ice cream because you ruined my week. You have to go to Mrs. Figg. Enjoy the cats on your birthday." Dudley turned around and sauntered away from him. Harry watched Dudley walk away warily, He knew that this couldn't be all of the punishment that he would get from Dudley. Just at the moment when he thought this Petunia shrieked for him to come inside and start preparing dinner.

That night was worse than most. Harry was dirty and Aunt petunia was angry that he wasn't clean even though he had been forced to stay outside during the hottest part of the day and had not been allowed any time to shower. Harry was careful with making dinner but Uncle Vernon bellowed that it was burned even though it wasn't. Dudley fake cried as he shouted that Harry hurt him. When in all actuality Dudley has shoved Harry in the kitchen as Harry was doing the washing up. Harry was sent to his cupboard without dinner and with a slap from Aunt Petunia. He was locked inside as the Dursley's went out for a special treat with Dudley. Harry refused to let himself cry that night. Instead he thought of stonewall and imagined what it would be like next year when he was at a school without Dudley for the first time in his life.

Severus had spent the previous day trying to locate the brat that he was supposed to give the cursed letter to. He had finally succeeded and found it was far too late to take the blasted thing to the boy. And so he arrived in Privet Drive promptly at 7 in the morning on August 1st. He had been informed by Professor Dumbledore at the last minute that he really should conduct this interview in muggle clothes, He had reluctantly put on the only muggle clothing he owned, a black swept his long hair back out of his face for the occasion as well, he knew that it made him look hard and unapproachable and that was what he was going for.

He apparated to the house across the street of number 4 and muttered to himself as he watched for any sign of life from the house across the street "Go in, give the boy the damnable letter, tell that woman to respond and leave. The less time I spend here the better everything will be." Not long after this heated comment he got what he was looking for as Harry opened the door to get the eggs and milk.

Severus felt his stomach drop as he watched the spitting image of James Potter step outside the tidy looking house. Severus forced himself to take a step forward as Harry leaned over to pick up the eggs. And he was surprised as he took his second step to see an extremely fat child come out of the house behind Harry and shoved him over. Severus stopped walking and his dark eyes narrowed to slits as he watched the fat boy laugh and point at harry as he lost his balance and tumbled over face first towards the ground. Harry caught himself just in time to prevent a broken nose, but not in time to keep from scraping his palms and knees, or to keep from tipping over one of the two bottles of milf. and skinned his knees and palms. The fat child started to snort in his laughter and said between guffaws "Stupid, clumsy, idiot! Mummy won't be pleased!" With a final snort of laughter the fat boy entered the house again calling for his mum.

Harry knelt on the ground looking utterly distraught for a moment. The legs of his jeans soaked up the milk that had spilled for several seconds before he carefully picked himself up to check his knees and hands as if to assure himself that he hadn't broken anything. While he checked for any damage beyond the scrapes he could see and the bruises he knew would appear later Petunia strode out of the house. "Stupid Boy!" She shrieked and slapped Harry upside the head with the newspaper as if he was a dog and not a child. "Milk Costs, and you will work to pay for what you so carelessly spilled!" She stormed back into the house and harry rubbed the back of his head where his aunt had hit him before he carefully picked up the remaining milk bottle, and the eggs and brought them into the house.

Severus had never liked Petunia Evans, and seeing how she treated Lily's child filled him with the desire to grab the newspaper from her hands and hit her with it as carelessly as she had hit Harry. After watching Harry go back into the house he decided that there was more going on here than Harry simply not getting his was determined to see what was truly happening in this house that Dumbledore had left this child in. With a wave of his wand he performed a simple disillusionment spell and stood still watching the house.

It didn't take long for Harry to appear again. This time carrying rubbish to the bin. Severus watched the slump of the boys shoulders and knew that downtrodden look. He had seen it enough times as a child, every time he looked in a mirror. Lost in his own thoughts of his childhood and what his life had been like before he had gone to Hogwarts, Severus missed Vernon Dursley come out of the house until he heard the nasty sharp exclamation of, "BOY!" His attention was immediately brought back to the present situation, he watched as Vernon collared Harry and pointed him towards the house. "I expect this yard to be completely weed free and that disgusting mess you left out front to be cleaned up by the time I return tonight or there will be no Dinner for you tonight. Understand Boy?" Vernon spat the words at Harry as if saying them caused him physical pain.

Harry's shoulders slumped even further under the pressure of his uncle's hands and he said barely above a whisper "Yes uncle Vernon. I understand" Vernon harrumphed before he got into his car and drove away. What bothered Severus most about the exchange he witnessed was the fact that this boy, the child of two of the most strong willed people that Severus had ever known was, meekly taking the harsh angry words and, the orders of these two muggle adults without even a single word of how unfairly he was being treated. So far what Severus had seen was enough to cause concern in the most hard hearted person, and the day had just started.

The more he observed throughout the day the angrier he became. By the time afternoon tea time came around Severus had listened to Petunia berate Harry as an idiot, accuse him of thieving, tell him that he was a disgusting mess, shout at Harry that he was wasting water as he washed off the front step, and criticize the way Harry pulled the weeds from the front garden. It wasn't long after two other children arrived at the house when Severus watched as Harry skidded around the house followed closely by his fat cousin and one of the other boys. The third boy was waiting out front for Harry. he tripped harry up causing Harry to fall on his already bruised hands and knees.

Dudley laughed and said, "Good one Piers!" and then promptly pushed Harry the rest of the way down to the ground. Dudley found the most comfortable position while sitting on Harry's back. He pushed Harry's face into the dirt and said mockingly "Ickle Harry fell down. No mummy to kiss his booboos. No Daddy to chase away the bullies." The fat boy laughed a hard single laugh and leaned down closer to Harry's face before he continued' "No, they hated the sight of you so much they got drunk and drove their car into a tree. Tried to save the world from your presence. Too bad it didn't work. Now we are stuck with you. You are nothing. You are less than nothing understand? You are an orphan the no one wants to even be alive. You should be grateful my mum and dad took you in. You are nothing but a burden to everyone." Dudley's friends laughed and joined in the taunting, but that wasn't good enough for Dudley.

He pushed himself up and spat on the back of Harry's head. The much smaller boy instinctively curled into a ball trying to cover his ribs as if he were familiar with what would be coming next. It wasn't very long before the three boys were punching and kicking the black haired child that was on the ground. A few times Dudley said loudly "Not the Face or I will get in trouble with Mum. She doesn't want marks where anyone can see." In that moment Severus nearly lost his control over his burning anger, but he somehow managed it. after a bit the three larger boys lost interest and went off to find someone else to beat on. Harry lay on the ground taking shallow breaths for several moments before he uncurled himself and slowly got to his feet. The child felt his ribs and winced but didn't make a sound. Tough kid Severus thought as he watched Harry stand up straight and walk calmly back into the house.

Not long after this incident Vernon Dursley came home and inspected the garden on his way into the house. He made an angry sound before shouting "Boy get out here!" Harry appeared as quickly as he could considering the fact he probably had a few broken ribs. When Harry saw his uncle's face His own face turned into a stone mask, one that Severus also knew very well. Vernon pointed at a flowerbed and said harshly " I informed you this morning that If I found a single weed in this garden when I arrived home this evening you would have no food tonight. I was very clear with you and you said you understood me. Well, I found a weed. No food."

Harry looked at his uncle a crack forming in the stone mask he was wearing and he stammered " But..Uncle Vernon, I haven't eaten at all today. " Vernon snorted and grabbed Harry by the ear and hauled him into the house Harry whimpered once before becoming as silent as a mouse. Vernon slammed the door behind himself as he entered the house.

By now Severus had seen more than enough to turn his stomach. This boy was being abused in a ruthless fashion and he Severus Snape would be putting a stop to it once and for all. This child would no longer be abused by these miserable muggles. He no longer cared that this boy was the offspring of his most hated bully while he had been at school. He didn't care that his face looked like James potter and that messy black hair fell in exactly the same way as his father's had. Severus was going to put a stop to this tonight. As darkness to settle over the neighborhood like a blanket he watched and waited for the lights to go out in number four, and then he waited for what he thought would be plenty of time for the Dursley's to fall asleep. Shaking the disillusionment spell from himself, He crept to the front if the house and tapped the lock and murmured "Alohomora."

All was quiet in the house as Severus softly entered. He stood in the dark for a few moments and allowed his senses grow accustomed to the house he had just entered. The last place he had seen lights was on the second floor so he made him way up the stairs and started his search for the boy. The first room he came to was filled with broken and mangled muggle toys, there was a bed but it was empty. The second room belonged to the fat child he had seen beating up Harry earlier in the day. Severus was tempted so very tempted to teach this brat a lesson, but he moved on. The next room was a guest bedroom, and the final room was the bedroom of vernon and Petunia. There was a toilet on this floor but no one was in it. Confused Severus made his way back down stairs and stood in the entryway of the house. "Perhaps the boy sleeps in a room on the ground floor." he murmured to himself before taking a few steps down the passage before he heard something that made him stop mid step. That sound was the quiet choked back sobs of a child that was trying to be as quiet as possible but could no longer keep the pain pushed down.

Severus listened intently in order to determine where the sobs were coming from. He took another step down the hall and a floorboard creaking under his weight and the sound of the crying child stopped instantly. Severus looked at the door he was standing in front of and shook his head. There is no way that these muggles keep a child in a cupboard under the stairs he thought, but that was where he had heard the broken hearted sounds coming from. He noticed that there was a grate in the door and a sliding lock on the outside of the door. Severus placed his hand on the lock and drew it back and swung the door open and there he saw the small child shaking in fear and trying to keep his sobs under control. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I promise to be quiet. I Swear I will be quiet please, please don't hurt me." the words spilled from harry in a quiet mumble as the boy was hiding as much of himself as he could under the sheet and blanket that were on his small bed.

Severus's hands shook in fury over the treatment of this child and he pulled out his wand and cast a silencing charm wordlessly and then lit his wand tip with a silent lumos. How to approach this situation Severus was unsure about that aspect of this situation. He normally would have had a talk with the guardian of the child he was asked to bring a Hogwarts letter to. But Severus thought that he would rather be trampled by a herd of centaurs than ever share a single word with the muggles that lived in this house. This time he would have to play it a bit differently and have the conversation with this child on his own.

Crouching down to be closer to Harry's height in the bed Severus spoke gently to the quivering lump beneath the covers. "Harry." The single word made Harry shoot up from his position and cower in a corner looking at Severus like a frightened cat with nowhere to escape to. Severus tried again in what he hoped was a more soothing tone "Harry, I've come to.." to what tell him he is a wizard and then leave him to the muggles? Not bloody likely. "bring you this." He finished lamely. He fished the letter from the school out of his pocket and placed it carefully on the bed, and withdrew his hand.

Harry's eyes widened in wonder and he saw the letter that he had been aching to see. He looked up at severus and said in a whisper "Was it...was it you that was sending me these? I thought you gave up, that you didn't care to keep sending them." Severus shook his head slightly and pushed the letter a bit closer to harry. Harry reached out a tentative hand and picked up the letter and opened it with trembling fingers. He read the first page silently to himself and then stared at Severus with a pained look in his eyes. "This is some kind of cruel joke isn't it. How much did they pay you to mock me?" Harry tossed the letter down in disgust and pulled his knees up to his chest. "Go on laugh at me. get them all in here to laugh at me."

Severus silently cursed himself and he murmured to Harry like one would murmur to a frightened horse. "No Harry this is not some practical joke. this is very real. Your father was a wizard and your mother…" Severus trailed off as he thought of Lily. He took a deep steadying breath and continued "Your mother was the greatest witch I have ever known."

Harry's head snapped up and he stared intently at Severus. "You knew my mother? Did you know my father too?" There was a spark in Harry's eyes that had not been there a few moments ago and Severus nodded his head hoping to draw Harry out more from this protective shell he was in.

"Yes I knew your parents. Your mother and I were friends at school, but I made some bad choices and we had a falling out. I never got to tell her how truly sorry I was for the things I did, as for your father. I also went to school with him, but I didn't really know him well. " Harry looked at the letter again and picked it up carefully. He opened it again and stared at the words on the page.

"I'm really a wizard? How do you know you haven't made some horrible mistake? I bet there are a million Harry Potter's in England. " Harry said this all the while not looking up from the letter. reading over and over again the words that were going to change his life.

Severus sighed and said "You are a wizard. If you don't believe me just ask yourself have I ever done something that seemed impossible? Have I been blamed for things that simply happened that seemed to be strange and had no good explanations?" He waited for Harry to look at him again and when Harry finally lifted his eyes from the letter he was reading he nodded his head slowly.

"Once at the Zoo I talked to a snake...and then the glass on the enclosure disappeared and my cousin fell in. I was locked in my cupboard for months. " Severus looked at Harry with genuine interest for the first time when he mentioned being able to speak to snakes, and then he snorted back a laugh about the disappearing glass. Harry smiled at Snape's reaction and then said abruptly "I'm sorry but who are you exactly? The letter is signed by a professor McGonagall..."

Severus cleared his throat and put on an expression of seriousness and said in his soft voice " My name is Severus Snape. I am the potions master at Hogwarts. That is one of the classes you will be taking when you leave here." Harry looked back at the letter and then folded it and tried to hand it back to Severus with a heavy sigh.

" I can't go anywhere. My aunt and uncle would never allow it. And they surely wouldn't pay for all of the things on this list." Harry said in a resigned tone that said just how much the muggles had broken his spirit.

Severus almost laughed. This boy was worried about money? Didn't he know that he was the heir to a fortune, and that he would never have to worry about money for the rest of his life? But taking another look at him, Severus noticed the worn out look of the oversized shirt and obvious hand me down pants Harry had on. Severus realized that Harry had no idea just how much money he had, and he wasn't about to tell this eleven year old boy that he had that much wealth at his fingertips.

It seemed like a terrible idea to not teach this boy the value of money before he had all of that wealth thrown into his lap. He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from his toes to his heels. "There are scholarships for children in your position. The schooling itself is free, and the school will help you with all of the other purchases for the supplies that you need. Orphaned children are also given a small amount of spending money each term for things they may need or want to purchase." He pushed the letter Harry was holding out to him back towards the small undersized child and said " I need your decision. If you want to go, We must leave now before the muggles upstairs find that I have broken into their house to steal away the child they obviously have no desire to have under their roof and who have broken the trust that was placed in them to cared for you in the way that was expected of them when you were left here ten years ago."

Harry sat in silence for a moment and nodded his head once. Severus smiled and said "Good Man. Lets go." Severus stood up and Harry reached for his few belongings and stuffed them into the rucksack he used for school. His bag was packed in less than a minute and he joined Severus in the hall. Severus smiled tightly at Harry and murmured I suppose I should leave some kind of note for your aunt explaining where you have gone to….I think making it impossible to remove from the wall is fitting, don't you?"

Harry grinned at Severus and nodded emphatically. Severus pulled out his wand and with a flourishing slash through the air sent shimmering emerald green words onto the wall,

Petunia,

I always thought you were a vile child.

I had hoped that growing into an adult might have improved you.

Unfortunately I was incorrect.

I have relieved you of the child you so obviously felt to be a burden.

And he WILL be attending Hogwarts with other children of the wizarding world.

If I have anything to say in this matter He will not be returning to this place,

and if he does I can assure you that he will be watched over every moment he is in your care.

I suggest you make some improvements to his living accommodations.

If not, you will hear from me again.

Please remember what happened last time you crossed me.

-Severus Snape

Harry stood there watching the shimmering green letters travel across the wall in amazement. Severus looked at the child and smirking in satisfaction. "I think that is all the explanation that is needed don't you Harry?"

Harry looked at the words again and said softly "They can't be removed? Can they paint over them?"

Severus laughed and shook his head. "Clever question. The answer is no, they can't be painted over, they will have to be removed by either taking out the wall completely or someone with magic will have to come and remove them. I have the feeling that they won't want help from anyone with magic."

Harry grinned and nodded his head in agreement. " Are you ready?" Severus asked and Harry nodded one tight nod, not even giving the place he called home a backward glance. Severus extended his hand and said "Take my hand." Harry put his small hand into Severus's large slender one, and Severus closed his fingers around it tightly, and without another word Severus Snape dropped his silencing spell and disapparated with a crack loud enough to wake the sleeping Dursleys.

Author's Note:

Hello, Hello My Beauties!

I do not own Harry Potter J.K. Rowling does, and she is the most amazing writer of all time.

Here is the first Chapter it is quite a bit longer than what I will be normally putting out for this story. The reason for this is that it sets up the rest of the story, so future chapters wont be this long in the future.

Thank you for any reviews and follows you feel like leaving on this story. you are are magnificent!

-Badger And The Bee