Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the magical people, places, things, animals in this story belong to J. K. Rowling. I can't even imagine owning all that.

Summary: AU. This is a Snape mentors Harry kind of story. It starts with Harry's summer vacations before his Second Year as Snape comes across something that breaks all delusions about the boy's home-life. Please don't flame. I really appreciate constructive criticism but no flames. Please!

Chapter IV

Next morning, Harry opened his eyes to fight the urge to scream like a girl. He woke to find two large eyes too near his face for his comfort and he thanked his lucky stars that he had seen them before or he really would have screamed like a girl. It was one thing to be scared but it was an entirely different thing to show our fear. He saw that the house-elf had realised that he was awake as Biddy got down the bed.

"We is waiting for you to wake, sir. We is wanting to know what Mr. Potter would like to have for breakfast. Master is already up and about but Master said not to wake you up before eight so Biddy did as his Master told him to." Biddy said, pleased with himself for reason unknown to Harry.

"Umm…isn't Professor Snape having breakfast? I'll have anything he is having. And good morning, Biddy." Harry said, although the last part was added as an afterthought. Harry was alarmed to see that Biddy had tears in his eyes so he hastened to say, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"Mr. Potter could never offend Biddy, sir. It's just that not many wizards are that generous with us, sir. We wish you a very happy morning too. We is going now to take care of breakfast. Tibby will come to take you downstairs for breakfast, sir." Biddy said as he left or well vanished after he bowed to Harry.

Harry was very uneasy with his conversation with Biddy, he got an inkling that house-elves weren't exactly as they should be. With this thought in his mind, he got up and after fifiteen minutes of pure bliss in the bathtub, Harry decided to go downstairs. As soon as he walked towards the door to go out, Tibby came with a pop.

"Mr. Potter, Tibby welcomes you to Prince Mansion. Now we should go downstairs because Master has already come. Come, come young master. Master doesn't like people who are late." Tibby said, who seemed much more happier that Biddy to Harry.

'Don't I know it!' Harry thought as he heard Tibby's last comment. They went downstairs and entered in room not far from the main hall. There was a long table as if at some time there were many guests entertained. Before Harry could make any more remarks in his mind, he saw Snape sitting in a chair at the end of the table. Another plate was placed neatly exactly opposite to Snape. Harry took the chair as he was motioned to do so.

"Mr. Potter, after you complete your breakfast, go and pack your things. We are to take Hogwarts Express and London is not near so do not be late. It is 8.30 so I take it that you won't have any problem to be ready by 9.00 o' clock. I must drive to London as I don't have any portkey today." Snape said, looking disgusted at the prospect of driving a car.

"Thank you, sir. I know it was most inconvinient for you to let me stay as I was kind of uninvited. Thank you very much, sir." Harry said, really grateful for letting him stay.

"If you were any other student I would have done the same, Potter. You don't need to thank me. As for inconvinience, well, I would say, you were unexpected not unwelcome. I don't mean that you are welcome in my house, Potter for you are neither welcome nor unwelcome in my house. I am your teacher and I felt it my duty to provide a shelter to my student." Snape sneered.

'Well, that went well. Why did I even think that Snape would take my gratitude nicely. Just like him to totally ruin the moment. Here I was totally gullible to think that he would be nice just like last night. Obviously a night made a lot of difference to Snape. Humph.' Harry thought bitterly. He played with his food as his appetite was gone to the dungeons. After some time Snape got up and left so Harry stopped playing with food and went upstairs with Tibby as she had more something that Biddy lacked in Harry's opinion. Although what that something was, Harry didn't know. After he packed his trunk, he tried to take it downstairs all by himself. 'Tried' being the operative word. Harry was soo frustrated with himself! 'Ron could do it all by himself, why couldn't he?' Harry mentally whined. As Harry was determined to take it down himself, he dragged it with all his might. But as he was concentrating on doing that and that alone, he missed the steps and tripped. He went down rolling, his trunk with him going down. After what felt like a month to Harry, he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His knee was scrapped, his lip was bleeding, his hand had blood too but he wasn't sure where he was hurt. It was clear that he was hurt on at least three places and it hurt like hell.

Snape was just entering the main hall when he heard some noise. It seemed like something had fallen down. 'Oh, well. Biddy must have thrown something, without meaning to, of course. Honestly, he had had enough of that house-elf. He just here because of his mother.' Snape thought angrily.

Meanwhile, Harry had somehow stood up. He looked around to make sure that his trunk was alright. He looked down at his clothes, his pant was a bit bloody so was his shirt. He decided that change of clothes was necessary if he didn't want Snape to know about the incident. He quickly opened his trunk, took out some clothes and went upstairs. He went into his temporary room, changed the clothes. He folded his earlier clothes, took Hedwing's cage. Hedwig hooted softly as if inquiring if he was okay. Harry smiled and said softly, "It's okay, Hedwig. I am as okay as I can be under circumstances."

When he went into the main hall, Snape was already there looking impatient. Harry looked at his watch and saw that there were still ten minutes to leave. 'Why is he always soo…so? Why am I thinking about him? I should be worrying about where Dumbledore is going to put me. Yes, I won't think about him.' Harry thought, resolutely. He went near a chair facing the fireplace and stood. He was still glaring at the fire five minutes later when Snape said that they were ready to leave. Harry limped a little as he walked towards the door, Snape noticed this and frowned.

"What have you managed to do, Mr. Potter? I left you for an half an hour without supervision and you managed to get yourself hurt. What happened?" Snbape asked, a little angrily.

Harry squirmed and fidgeted, unsure if Snape would be angry. Well, he already seemed angry so it wouldn't make much difference, Harry decided. He started, "Well, you said to be ready by 9 o'clock and I was ready fifteen minutes early. So I decided to try to take the trunk with me downstairs but it didn't quite work out that way. I was too busy trying to balance myself and the trunk that I…I umm…didn't see one step and tripped." The last word was whispered.

Snape was really astonished that Harry didn't wait for the house-elves to take the trunk to the car. 'Stupid boy, can't he even do something without harming himself?' Snape thought, annoyed. 'At least there wasn't any blood anywhere. How could he escape without any injury?' Snape thought, puzzled. After a moment realisation dawned on him.

"Potter, show me your injuries. Don't even try to hide them. I don't understand why you would do such foolish stunt. If Madam Pomfrey had seen the injuries then she would have skinned me alive. Did you do it because it would make me a bad person, Potter?" Snape asked, getting angrier by second.

Harry was amazed that Snape's imagination could be that far-fetched. He felt insulted that Snape would even think that Harry would do something like that. He said stiffly, "I wasn't allowed to tell about my injuries at Dursley's so I thought that you wouldn't want to know too. If I had known you would think that I would do any such thing then I would have told you."

Snape had to give it to the brat for the bravery, stupid Gryffindor bravery. Nobody in his House would give him clarification like that, not even Draco and Draco was his favourite student. Well, it seemed that he went a little far in his assumption so he relented. Just said, "We will discuss it later but first we need to take care of your injuries. Come, show me where you are hurt."

Harry couldn't exactly defy a request which was for his own good and Harry wasn't that daft. So he showed his knee to Snape who tsked and went only return a moment later with a ointment. It was surprisingly soothing, making Harry sigh with relief.

Harry even showed his hand about which he wasn't sure. Snape inspected his elbow with such impersonal touch that Harry wondered if Snape had some training about healing. After all was done, Snape and stood. Snape went to clean his hands and returned a moment later.

"Come, Mr. Potter or we will be late. We do need to catch the thrain today, don't we?" Snape asked.

Harry nodded and said, "Thank you, sir. I know you would have done that to any of your student but thank you all the same."

Snape was surprised a little but it didn't show on his face. He just nodded and started walking albeit slowly so Potter could follow without limping and hurting his knee any more. After they had gotten into the car, Potter sat at the backseat because he wasn't used to sitting in the front seat. 'Damn the brat, I would look like some kind of chauffer. He is talking to the bird, Merlin save me. He talks to his pet and we rely on him to save the wizarding community.' Snape thought. Then another snide voice said, 'You used talk to your pet, too. It wasn't weird and meaningless then, was it? You just think that because it's Harry Potter. You have seen many students do that kind of thing yet you find something wrong when Potter does it. Why, Severus Snape, I never would have thought you to be a hypocrite.' To Snape, it sounded a lot like Dumbledore. Snape just wanted it to end. He wanted to go to Hogwarts and give the brat to Dumbledore and leave for his dungeons. Was it too much to ask?

They reached Kings Cross at 10. 45. They went through the barrier on to the flatform no. 9&3/4. Rest of the journey was surprisingly peaceful. Snape read potions journal and Harry did some of his Transfiguration homework. The day was gone without Snape or Harry noticing. They reached Hogwarts in evening. As Snape said the inane pasword, the gargoyle moved and they entered the Headmaster's office. School's Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was there too along with Albus Dumbledore.

"Ah! Severus, how are you and young Mr. Potter? I hope you had a nice journey. Now, Harry come and sit. I am very sorry Harry that you had to go through all that. If I had known I would have done something before. You don't have to go there again this but I am afraid that for your own safety, you must go there next year." Dumbledore said, sadly.

"Albus! What are you saying? After all that happened to Harry, you are still telling him to go? That's not possible. I won't allow you to do that." Minerva said, shocked that even after all that happened to Harry, Albus would send the child there.

As they were talking, Harry became more and more sad. He just couldn't believe that Dumbledore would say that. He whispered, "Please, sir. I would do chores and…and let me stay here. I don't want to go back to Dursely's. I can cook not much but simple breakfast, lunch. I don't think I'll be able to do dinner but with practice, I would be able to. I can clean the floors too. They won't have a spot left, please, just don't send me there. I….."

Snape had had enough of Potter's rant, he snapped, "You are not a house-elf, Potter! You will do no such thing. We will come to an agreeable decision, I am sure."

The last sentence was directed to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore looked grave as he listened Harry talk. He was put in corner without knowing what to do. Minerva and Severus were angry with him for trying to send Harry back to his realtives and Harry, that dear child, was offering to do chores in return for letting him stay here.

"Potter, wait outside. I wish to have a word with the Headmaster and you are not needed." Snape said.

Harry initially angry for practically telling him to get out with the Potions Master but then watching the expression on the said man, he decided that he didn't want to be at the end of the Potion Master's wand. He had the same expression when he had hexed Uncle Vernon. So Harry just nodded and quietly left the Headmaster's office. Although as he was just shutting the door, he saw that the Potions Master rounded on the Headmaster with a very menacing expression. Harry shivered and sat down on the floor waiting for his teacher to have a word with his Headmaster.

Auther's Note: It was good, I think. Initially I didn't want Harry to fall down but my mind had different ideas. So he fell down. he he

Once again, thank you very much for your reviews. You are just wonderful people so I decided to give you cookies. hands out cookies to everyone who reviewed Now, that done. Go and click that cute little button. If last time wasn't hard, it can't be hard this time, now, can it?