-Somewhere I Am Loved-

Chapter 3- An Introduction Like no Other

I apologize for posting chapter 2 twice, I clicked the wrong document when uploading. I just want to say there was no reason to call me any names, just a simple, hey you posted chapter 2 twice, was enough. It has been fixed obviously, and I'd appreciate it if there was no name calling. I try my hardest to post when I can and what I can and I don't have to. I post this stuff for your entertainment and to better my writing. Please feel free to post suggestions and corrections, but please do so kindly. I may just be a stranger over the internet, but I assure you, I have feelings to and I'm human. I make mistakes and I make an effort to correct those mistakes. Thanks for reading my rant, and please be kind to authors on this site and others. Just because someone makes a mistake does not make them a moron.

Authors Note- I've been writing like crazy these past two days trying to get something to post for you all. I'm sorry I have been away from the keyboard while I was in Virginia for my cousin's wedding for the past two weeks. I've gotten good responses with my first two chapters so I'm pleased to say I will be posting more chapters, more frequently, at least until I go back to school in the fall. I'd like to thank the people who have reviewed, you literally brought a smile to my face. I was so excited to see that I'd gotten a review! I want to thank you for your patience with my awfully slow posting. And now, ONWARD!

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters. The only character I claim as mine is Oliver Perry.

Warning- The same warnings that were in the first two chapters apply here as well. There will definitely be mentions of abuse and neglect in this chapter.


Minerva McGonagall was searching the lower floor of the Dursley residence when she stumbled upon a little cupboard under the stairs. She was beyond shocked when she saw that there was a thin mattress on the floor covered in a measly knitted blanket that was filled with holes and looked as if it could barely cover an infant. All at once she knew who lived in this disgrace for a room. She remembered that blanket. She had given that exact same blanket to Lily Potter the day Harry was born. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a piece of paper pinned to the wall above the bed. The paper said, 'Harry's Room' in bright, rainbow colors. She saw the shelf that held Harry's broken, tin soldiers and broken crayons. There were two pairs of socks, folded neatly on a low shelf with a feather duster and various vacuum cleaner parts and other cleaning supplies neatly lined up next to it. And there was an empty can of soup on the floor next to a small pool of blood. There was a dingy old towel in the corner with blood and little boy boogers smeared on it. Minerva, overcome with emotion, had to back out of the little closet before she completely lost her cool.

Once out of the closet she called for Filius Flitwick. When the tiny man had climbed down the stairs all Minerva could do was point to the door of Harry's 'room' before she hurried to the living room and collapsed on the sofa. Filius, stunned by Minerva's actions, opened the door with caution. He didn't know what to expect, but he did not expect to see what lay hidden behind that door. What he saw truly shocked him and he fell flat on his bum.

In all Filius' years he had never had such a shock. He felt his heart seize up and his breath catch. All at once a single tear feel down his old, wrinkled cheek and fell on his lap. He sat in silence for what seemed like hours until Minerva sat beside him on the threshold of the little room and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Filius, Dumbledore sent a message. He and Snape have found Harry. He's at the Hospital Wing getting checked over by Poppy. We should gather his stuff and get to Hogwarts."

Filius snapped into action and grabbed the boy's toys, socks, and drawings he found under the mattress. They were backing out of the closet when Minerva decided to grab the dingy blanket. She would clean and repair it and give it to the boy. They left the house as dark and quiet as they found it, with a promise to return and get revenge for the obvious pain they had caused The-Boy-Who-Lived.


"Minerva and Filius told me what happened to the poor boy, and about the cupboard. Those despicable muggles! I can't believe anyone would do that to a child! Harry none the less. He's over there." Poppy Pomfrey, the school matron, pointed to behind a drawn curtain. "Albus and Severus brought him in. He and a muggleborn were attacked by Death Eaters. I'm sure you remember Oliver Perry? Harry is far too skinny and is too small for his age. He looks like he is not yet 2 let alone 5 and a half! The poor boy. Haven't gotten a good look at his injuries yet, he just came in, but he walked in really stiff like on his backside. I do hope I don't find anything on the boy. I think I just might kill those muggles." The matron was right scary when she was angry. That was how she got the kids to listen to her. Whenever there was anything to do with an abused or neglected child Poppy got protective.

When the dangerous gleam in her eyes faded she grabbed a stunned and angry Hagrid by the leg and hugged him fiercely sobbing all the while. Hagrid didn't know what to do. There was a crying woman crying on his leg and he was so angry he almost turned right around to find those muggles.

"Um, hem. Now, now, Poppy. We'll get those muggle back, don't you worry. They'll pay tenfold fer ever' mark on tha' boy and fer ever' day he wen' without somethin', If it's the last thing I do!"

"Poppy! How is our lad doing? Have you had a chance to look him over? Oliver is quite anxious to come and see him for himself." Dumbledore had walked through Poppy's open office door.

With that Poppy snapped out of her stupor and jumped into action, quickly drying her tears on her starched apron. She moved aside the curtains and looked the frightened boy up and down.

"Mr. Potter. My name is Madame Pomfrey. I am the nurse at a school called Hogwarts, which is a magic school for kids like you."

"I know. Oliver told me about this place. Ma'am? May I ask you something?"

"Of course lad! Ask away! And you may call me Poppy, Harry." The boy was so polite, it was almost unnerving how formal he was for a five year old.

"What's going to happen to me? You're not going to send me back to the Dursley's are you! Please don't ma'am! I can stay here, I'll clean and cook for you! I won't get in the way and I don't eat much! Please ma'am!"

"Calm down, Harry. We're not going to send you back. I promise. And those muggles will pay for what they have done to you. We shall arrange something. But for now we need to focus on your health. You are ill, and undernourished. Until you are better you will stay right here. You will never be expected to cook and clean for your place in any home any more. Small chores are healthy for a boy your age, but nothing too extensive. Now, I'm going to do a complete body scan, so sit still for a moment please. This may tickle a bit." She finished with a small smile.

As soon as she cast the spell Harry had a major giggle fit. He squirmed all over the bed and his lips cracked into a wide grin. He believed the kind lady's words and he had never been happier in his life. It would be different with these people, he could tell. He felt safe with them.

All too soon the tickling sensation stopped and he was left panting and wishing it wasn't over yet. But when he looked up to the nurse's face his grin vanished. Something was wrong. She looked upset and angry. Had he done something? Did his laugh annoy the nice lady? Was he not allowed to show his happiness like with his relatives? Oh gosh. Only twenty minutes into a great new life and he had ruined it. She was surly going to send him back now. Uncle Vernon would kill him.

Little Harry was so worried he worked himself into a panic attack. He couldn't breathe and he felt dizzy. He scrambled away from the startled Poppy and curled into a ball near the headboard. He could hear voices calling his name but they seemed so far away. He felt gentle hands on his shoulder and he couldn't help flinching away from them. Thoughts raced through his mind. Some were saying to trust these people. Others were saying they would send him back or be mean like his uncle.

Suddenly arms wrapped around his little body and he was held tight against a wide, warm chest by strong arms. He struggled for a moment before exhaustion over took him. The chest and arms around him were warm and the strong heart beat against his ear was like a lullaby. He soon fell asleep in the stranger's arms.


"It's worse than I thought. He's a nervous wreck. Not only is he physically unhealthy, I fear he may have tremendous mental health issues. He has had both arms broken, all of his ribs broken at least twice, some more than that, a broken ankle, wrist, and multiple fingers broken and severely burned. He has deep scars along his back, neck, and bottom. Severe malnutrition, and dehydration. He seems to have trust issues and a complete lack of self-esteem, he thinks himself a common house elf! We are going to be hard put to get him healthy, and happy, and like a normal 5 year old should be.

"But I don't care. We're going to do what it takes and I shall see that this boy gets what he needs, if it's the last thing I do! Albus, where will he go when he is healthy enough? You're not going to send him to an orphanage are you?" Poppy had just finished doing a complete checkup of the one Harry Potter while he was asleep in Snape's arms, much to the professor's dismay.

When the boy flinched away from Dumbledore's touch he nearly fell off the bed and onto the hard, stone floor. If it had not been for Snape's quick reflexes, and for the fact that he had been occupying the chair on that side of the bed, Harry would have had a nasty landing, especially for a boy his size. Poppy quickly healed the boy of his previous injuries and informed the others of what she had found.

"I am not sure what will become of our young Mr. Potter, but rest assured he will go to a good home." Dumbledore answered Poppy's concerns with confidence.

"He will go to a good home indeed, Headmaster." Snape sneered. "You talk of him as if he were a lost dog. The brat, as much as I hate to admit it, is… delicate. We need to ensure he is not mistreated again. The orphanages and the foster system will not help him one bit. He needs a stable home." The boy in question was still clinging tightly to the man's robes and no matter what he tried, the sleeping boy would not let go.

Flitwick, who had been sitting quietly on a bed next to Harry's, spoke up at Severus' words. "You are correct Severus. The boy needs stability. He needs someone he can trust and someone who can protect him. I think we should wait and see what happens while he is healing. He is going to need the basic education all children get before starting preschool and grade school before Hogwarts. I suggest the Hogwarts staff take turns teaching him both muggle and magical subjects all young wizards should know at his age. After all, we all have plenty of prep periods and weekends as well. Perhaps Harry could become a ward of the school? He could stay in one of our chambers until he turns 11. And during the summer he could stay in the dorms once he is sorted. What do you say Albus?"

"I think it's a lovely idea Filius! I shall see what I can do. Though it would have to be kept quiet. I'm sure the minister would love to get his hands on Harry. If Harry was a ward of the Ministry, Cornelius would be a popular man. And there are still too many dark spies in there that would love to find and kill Harry. I need to return to my office and draw up the paperwork. I shall also send Oliver down so he may see Harry. The poor lad has been stuck in my office worried sick for almost an hour. I do hope he hasn't warn a path in my floor with his pacing." When Dumbledore had left, the teachers began speaking about who would teach the boy what. Eventually they got on the topic of Harry's future. Minerva and Filius placed a bet on what house he would be placed in and who he would stay with until he could be sorted into his respective house. Oliver had long returned and once we was assured the boy was ok he took a bed near Harry's and soon fell asleep. Oliver had tried to take Harry from Snape, and when it proved to be impossible the Professor grunted and told Oliver off. The teachers, or rather McGonagall and Flitwick, talked quietly, as to not wake the sleeping wizards.

"I say he'll be in Ravenclaw and will live with Severus. He seems to be attached to him now." Filius had said.

"Just because he is tired enough to fall asleep in anyone's arms the moment his eyes close does not mean he is attached to them. He doesn't even know Severus, I doubt he knows whose arms he is in." Minerva retorted.

"I can hear you, you know. He's lucky he is small and ill or I would not be tolerating this one bit. There is no way I will allow a brat like him to live with me anyhow. As for his future, it is too early to tell and we do not know all of his characteristics as of yet. For all we know he could be as dumb as dirt and will live with Filch." Shape had been quietly listening to the two bicker for the better part of a half an hour and he had grown tired of it. When he was brought into the conversation his patience snapped. How could Flitwick think he would, for one moment think he would allow any child, especially one so young, and one related to his greatest enemy, and his one love and once best friend, who broke his stone cold heart.

Yes, Severus Snape had a heart. Is was cold, damaged, and unused to feeling anything but shrewd hatred, but it was capable of feeling. Snap had not felt anything positive since he was a young boy. The only exception was, of course, Lilly. He was so used to the cold, bitterness that swarmed in his veins that he wasn't sure what to make of this feeling spreading through his chest when he held the young, delicate boy in his arms. When the others spoke of him, be became protective. He had no idea why and it scared him. He thought he was becoming soft, and that was the worst thing that could happen. Severus Snape's frozen heart was thawing. And one little boy, by the name of Harry Potter, was the fire that melted it.

"What about Oliver. Harry said Oliver saved him and helped him, he might feel safest with him. I hate to say this, but if Oliver was the only one who was kind to him in quite a while, Oliver might be Harry's knight in shining armor, so to speak. His savior, his protector. He even told Harry about the wizarding world, and about his parents and this school. Where ever that boy goes, he is going to work miracles. He already has, Severus, you would not tolerate this with any child, not even of your own House." McGonagall said.

"Yes well, as I've already explained, once he is healthy I won't tolerate it. I only do now because he is ill, and honestly, I can't break his grip. He's strong, for a brat." Severus retorted.

"Well from the looks of it Harry did every chore at his uncle's house. He's had to build muscle." Filius explained.

"I still think it incredible that anyone could get that close to Severus no matter the circumstances." Minerva said.

"What is to happen to the Malfoy boy now that his father is headed to Azkaban and his mother alongside him?" Filius asked.

"Draco is my godson. I shall look after him. I suppose he is the only brat I can stand, sometimes at least." Severus answered.

The other two professors stared at Severus in complete shock. Snape, voluntarily looking after a child? It was unheard of. Things were changing at Hogwarts. With The-Boy-Who-Lived under their roof and another young boy, also parentless, staying with the feared potions master.

Change was in the air as Christmas and the New Year were approaching. Things would be different, very different, in just a few months, as the Hogwarts staff would soon realize.


Hello readers! I want to apologize once again for posting the wrong chapter and for not posting in a while. My mom's cousin recently got married and we had to drive to Virginia (I live in MA) and I was not able to get much writing done. Once again I apologize, and thanks for sticking with me!