J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter …I am still poor.

Chapter 4

"Don't call me that Snape. The Potter boy is fine. You can leave now. Make haste!" Petunia spat out.

Severus chuckled to himself, make haste. Who does this muggle think she is? Nothing like Lily, but then again there will never be another like her. "Yes as much as I would like to take you word and be on my way I have specific instruction from Headmaster Dumbledore to lay eyes on the boy, and then I will see myself out," Severus said.

"He is not here. He is… playing with his friends," she hesitantly said, "and he will not be back until tomorrow." At the mention of Dumbledore, her eyes grew larger.

Severus caught the hesitation in the story and simply said, "Hmmm. I see, and where do these friends live Tuney?"

"I said don't call me that, and they live… a few block away. The fre…uhh boy walked there just this morning," Petunia continued to lie.

"I see," Severus lazily said. He casually pulled out his wand causing Petunia to gasp at the sight of it.

"I assure you, I am not going to hex you as much as I desire too, or I already would have done so Tuney. I am simply going to cast a simple charm to see if there is another magical being in the residence." With that said with a simple flick of his wrist a white light began to glow directing him to a small door under the stairs. Odd Severus thought why is Potter hiding in the cupboard. The boy was here. Severus discreetly glanced at the cupboard door. This went unnoticed by Petunia.

"This charm is mainly used by parents to locate their children at home. It is completely useless at Hogwarts or in any area where there are multiple magical beings. But as there should only Mr. Potter and my self who are magical here, if indeed he is here then it will direct me to his location. If he is not here then it will show me that as well and I will return tomorrow. " Severus explained this to Petunia in order to gauge her reaction. Yes, clearly she is lying. How surprising, Severus sarcastically thought to himself.

"I TOLD you Snape the boy is not here. There will be no freakishness in this house so put that silly stick away," Petunia said a little too hastily.

"I know what you said Tuney," reiterating her hated childhood nickname, "but I do not believe you." Snape then started in the direction to the small door beneath the stairs.

Once Severus reached the small cupboard door he murmured "alohamora" and the cupboard unlocked. Severus opened the door and there he saw Prince Potter… But it was not the pampered little boy he was expecting to see. No this could not be right. Severus despite his usual stoic self shook his head and looked again.

He saw a small bundle, curled into himself without a shirt on and wearing shorts that were many sizes too big stuck to his legs by what appeared to be a mixture of blood, sweat, and other fluids from the child's body. He saw welt marks on the boys back and on the exposed parts of the boys legs, and Severus felt a rage in himself he had no felt since his Death Eater days and turned to Petunia.

"At a friends house Tuney. And you wonder why I did not believe you. I should hex you a million times to next week. Where is that fat oaf of a husband of yours? Or did you inflict this damage upon the boy youself?" Severus growled out dangerously.

Petunia, taking a step back from Severus and his silly stick, "He… He's at work." Regaining her composure she had the audacity to say, "The boy got what he deserved. Lazy, impertinent, insolent freak. Doesn't listen to a thing we say. He takes food out of our own son's mouth. Since the day he was left at our door step he has been nothing more than a burden, never properly earning his keep."

Severus, taking a glance back at Harry, no... Potter, realized the boy had not moved since the cupboard door had been opened. The child was unconscious. Severus cursing Potter for making him do this turned his attention back to him and with a gentleness he did not know he possess picked him up and held him closely to his chest. The child was much to small and light for a boy of eleven. Severus thought to himself as he felt his chest tighten when Potter briefly stirred and whispered with a slight trace of a smile about his face, "You came," and he slipped back into unconsciousness. What monster could do this to a child? Whoever could do this to a child rivals Voldemort himself. Is this the first time this has happened? If it is not the first time, how has the child survived this long? And what the bloody hell did the brat mean, you came. For the second time in less than ten minutes he shook his head trying to clear his thoughts and said to himself It is of no matter to me, after all this is Harry bloody Potter. Pampered Arrogant Prince Potter spawn of his child hood enemy.. Then a little voice from no where said "Sev, he is my son too…"

Once he came back to him self and had appropriated Harry, no damn it…Potter he turned back to Petunia and said, "I am not done here. I have warded the cupboard so it cannot be accessed by you or your filthy muggle husband. I will return. More over there is no way for you to leave the residence or call and tell him that I have been here. In fact when I leave you will not remember I have been here until I return. And I promise you Tuney I will return and you and your pathetic excuse of a husband will answer for what has been done here."

With that said Severus swept out of the house leaving Petunia with her mouth gaping knowing that he would return. The promise and danger in his tone was evident that when he returned she would not like the consequence.

Casting an invisibility charm over himself and Harry, No! No! No! Damn it! Potter, he headed back to the floo at Mrs. Figg's house. He immediately flooed to the infirmary at Hogwarts.

After reaching the infirmary, "Poppy," Severus yelled, carefully depositing Potter on one of the beds. "I require your assistance immediately."

Poppy rushed over to Severus and gasped. "Severus, what is the meaning of this? Yelling in the infirmary like some kind of…" she began then came to an abrupt stop after seeing the small unconscious bundle on the bed. "Severus, who is this child? What happened and why is he with you?"

Gently removing the locks of hair from Potter's forehead, revealing the famous lightening bolt scar, Severus said, "This Poppy, this is Harry Potter."

Gazing momentarily at the young Potter, taking in his small battered body, Severus and Poppy hastily set to work in repairing the damage done to the little one.