A/N: There is confusion about the process of merging Harry with his alters. First, he has to understand their purpose and mentality. Then he has to accept the alter. What Harry sees in his nightmares is the very first time Lockhart had him in detention and was giving him a massage. He is beginning to remember that because when it was happening, he had been Harry so that memory is easier to access. But even still, it is blurry and jumbled. He can't remember that it was Lockhart.

Harry and Kit have not merged yet. Harry understands what and who she is, but can't accept her. Until he is able to do this, he will periodically have the nightmare and Kit will still need to come Out occasionally.

Forgiving

The next morning, Harry sat at the end of the couch, his knees drawn up under his chin and his arms wrapped tightly around his chest. Severus sighed as he sat in his own chair. The air was thick with the boy's confusion, anger, pain, and fear. This was going to be hard. But he had to make the boy understand before it was too late.

"This is going to be difficult to hear, Harry, but I need to know you are listening to me." Severus said firmly. "I need you to look into my face. When you need a minute, look away and I will wait until you are ready to continue. Understand?"

Harry nodded tensely, but otherwise made no move to speak.

"Alright." He kept his face blank and matter-of-fact as he held the pained green eyes with his own. "Most people picture rape as a violent and painful thing. And often it is. But sometimes it isn't. Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. Your body reacted…" Harry looked away and sat shivering for several long minutes before dragging his eyes back to his teacher's. Severus continued calmly. "You reacted in a natural way, but no matter what your body told you, you knew it was wrong. You didn't deserve to be treated in such a manner. It was wrong and it hurt you, no matter what your body said."

"But Kit… She likes it…" Harry said hoarsely.

"Kit… She is made up purely of your physical response." Severus said delicately. "You separated her away from the knowledge that you were unwilling so she didn't understand that it was a violation. She existed solely to feel and that's what she did. Harry, it isn't her fault either. It is not bad that it felt good. But it is bad that you were forced to feel such things so soon and when you weren't ready. One day you will find love and these feelings that Kit enjoys, you will want to enjoy as well."

"No." Harry said harshly, eyes burning with anger.

"Yes." Severus argued gently. "I know you are young and it seems horrible right now, but you will love someone and someone will come to love you in that special way."

"No." This time it was despair in Harry's voice.

"Yes." Severus said again. "What happened to you was horrible. It wasn't your fault."

"Is." Harry argued tiredly. "I was stupid. I let him massage me and put on the ointment."

"He who?"

Harry shrugged rigid shoulders, looking more like he was twitching. "Can't remember."

Severus wasn't sure if Harry was lying or not. On one hand, the boy had not lied to him so far and Kit could very well be blocking that information, but on another Harry could keeping it secret because of his feelings of shame. In any case, Severus knew that he had to help Harry let go of that shame. It wasn't his to bear.

"Whoever it was planned on hurting you from the beginning, Harry. They planned to make you vulnerable. They planned to drug you so you would be helpless and confused. They purposely used your innocence and ignorance to get what they wanted. It is their fault entirely. Do you honestly believe you should have been able to defend against such an attack? You were rightfully ignorant of such foul intentions."

Harry was crying softly now, but his green eyes never left Severus' so he continued.

"I will never lie to you, Harry. And I swear, you did nothing wrong here. You are not responsible for this. You were not expected to know how to fight back against such actions. There was no fault in you or in your reaction. It was natural and not your fault."

"But…I liked… it." He sniffed, wiping at his nose with his sleeve. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you." Severus said firmly, allowing a slight glare to enter his eyes. "And you didn't like it. You wanted it to stop. You couldn't stand it so much that you pushed it all away and created Kit... Tell me… What would you tell a man who had been cursed with Imperio and forced to feel enjoyment while murdering innocents?"

"That it wasn't really him." Harry answered heavily. "But this was really me. Kit is me."

"It was you, yes. But it was your body only that felt good. Your mind did not ever like it, as you put it. Harry, your body is a complex system, but it can't think for itself. It tells you when it is damaged by telling you it hurts. It also tells you things feel good when you are doing something that is good for it. Every single creature alive has an innate drive to reproduce. That is good. It keeps the species alive. The man who hurt you activated that instinct so the body said it was good. But you knew better and that made it hurt all the more. You did nothing wrong." Severus repeated, knowing he would have to say it over and over before Harry believed him.

"I don't want to talk about this any more." Harry said softly as he stood.

"What will you be doing?" Severus asked, remaining seated.

"I'm going to play for a bit and then go back to my room. Maybe sleep." Harry wouldn't look at his professor. "Can I be excused from lessons?"

"You may. But only for a day or two." Severus nodded. "You can't let this stop your life."

"Yes, sir." Harry practically ran from the room.

xXxXxXx

Harry played for several hours before he ran to his room and slammed the door shut. He didn't know what to do. He felt so lost, so angry, so dirty. He wanted to throw things and hurt himself. He wanted to cry and run away. It was maddening. He felt the pressure behind his eyes and knew that he was causing chaos with the alters, but he spitefully held on. It was their fault anyway! If Kit hadn't been born, then he would have found a way to get away!

Struck with the idea, he ran to his journal and furiously threw it open. Why didn't you come Out and stop him! I thought you were created to protect me! You should have seen it coming a mile away, Silas! And, Gabriel, I thought you were brave and strong!

I am intelligent. Silas answered calmly. Harry could tell because of how slow and steady his writing was. But I only know what I've seen through you and what I've studied. I assure you, child molestation never came up. I would have done more to warn you had I known.

I'm really sorry, Harry. Gabriel wrote sloppily, evidence of his guilt. I wanted to stop it, but you were drugged and Out and we can't force you to come back In. And then Kit was formed and we are strong when our particular situation calls us Out. We couldn't stop her. We couldn't stop it. We wanted to. I'm sorry.

Sorry! You're sorry! Harry raged at the paper, at his useless alters. Why didn't you come Out after and kick the bastard's ass, whoever he is? Why didn't you tell someone and stop it?

We couldn't attack the sick fuck because you avoided him, we avoided him. Besides, I wouldn't allow you to get expelled for attacking a teacher because then we would have been sent back to the Dursley's. Silas explained. And we did want to tell someone, but couldn't agree on whom. We don't trust the same people and Gabriel wouldn't let me go to Professor Snape.

And he wouldn't let me go to Dumbledore or McGonagall. He refused! Gabriel wrote angrily.

Shut up! Both of you! I don't really care who you do or don't trust! Because as of this moment, I don't trust either of YOU! Harry slammed the journal shut and threw it across the room before collapsing on the bed, crying. He hated crying and that's all he seemed to be doing lately. And he hated his stupid alters!

xXxXxXx

Snape ate dinner that night by himself. He was worried about Harry, but knew better than to go up and demand the boy's attendance at meals. He'd give the child a couple days before demanding they continue their routine. Giving Harry time to come to terms with his new knowledge was one thing. Allowing him to avoid the problem and letting it fester was another.

True to his word, he let Harry hide in his room for two days. The boy never came out, not even to play piano, but Omi assured him that he was eating at least once a day. Severus would only give Harry one more day. After that, he'd just have to face the world again. But it turned out that Severus wouldn't be needed to drag the boy from his room. On the third morning of Harry's isolation, Omi popped into Severus' bedroom frantic with worry.

"Master! Young Harry be cleaning! I told him to stop, but he don't answer or even look at me!"

"I'll handle it." Severus promised and headed for the boy's room. The door was shut so he knocked. No answer. He knocked again and then pushed it open. Harry was at the window wiping it down with one of his own shirts. He turned as Severus got closer and smiled shyly up at him, hands folded primly in front of him.

"Harry, what are…" Severus stopped as he noticed the boy's eyes fall to his mouth. When he stopped speaking, the boy looked back up to his eyes curious.

"Hello." Harry said in a high, friendly voice. The syllables were slightly accented, as if speaking were difficult.

Suddenly Severus knew what was happening. "Rose. How are you?"

The boy frowned in concentration and said, "Goo." Being deaf, she didn't know to make the hard 'D' sound at the end. She smiled up at Severus hoping she had done the right thing. And when Severus nodded, she smiled with such joy that Severus almost smiled back. Omi popped into the room. Rose didn't look in that direction, not having heard the elf's entrance. Severus remembered being told that Rose was very empathetic, but maybe she couldn't sense an elf's emotions. So she had no idea when Omi was near, whereas she felt Severus approaching and had turned away from the window on her own.

"I don't want you to clean." Severus said and watched Rose stare at his mouth. "Come with me."

"Yes." Rose said with a smile, eager to please him.

Severus nodded and turned around so that she couldn't see his lips, "Omi. Go and do not show yourself to Harry until I say otherwise."

"Yes, Master." The elf squeaked in confusion, but obeyed by disappearing with another pop.

Severus walked from the room with Harry/Rose following a few feet behind him. He took them to the dinning room. Rose was looking around in wonder. Severus pulled out a chair for her and she looked at it before bending to begin brushing it off. Severus stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up quickly, confusion on her face.

"No. Don't clean. I wanted you to sit there and wait for me to come back."

"Thank you." She said and sat.

When Severus gave a little smile at that, she beamed at him happily. He turned around with a sigh. He went to the kitchens. Omi was there looking very upset. He explained that Harry was just sick at the moment and not to worry. He'd be better soon. The elf nodded and demanded to know what to do.

He asked for some good food since Harry hadn't been eating well, and the elf eagerly complied, promising food very soon. Severus nodded and returned to the dinning room. Rose was sitting where he had left her. She was sitting upright and very lady-like. Her knees were together and toward one side as her feet went slightly under the chair, her ankles crossed. Her hands rested folded on her lap.

"The food will appear by itself on the table in a few minutes. Do not be frightened."

Rose smiled and nodded.

"When it arrives, I'd like you to eat." Severus continued. It was very difficult seeing Harry acting so unlike himself. He hadn't spent any large about of time with Harry's alters, except maybe Silas, but Silas' behavior didn't seem odd in Harry's body. Rose definitely wasn't the same. He had to fight to not look away from him/her. He knew Rose wouldn't understand if he did.

Harry/Rose sat patiently waiting, her eyes never leaving the vicinity of Severus' mouth in case the man said something. She didn't want to miss it. Suddenly, plates of food arrived at the table. There was a dish of string beans, a serving plate of stake with a steak knife and serving fork, mashed potatoes, and a dish with gravy. She smiled delightedly and asked, "May I?"

Severus nodded, knowing it would make the girl happy. Rose then began to serve him. She put a good portion of everything on his plate. Severus was surprised when she leaned back finished. The string beans were all facing the same direction and laying half on the stake artfully while the potatoes had a perfect circle of gravy in them.

"Very nice." He approved.

"Thank you." The girl said joyfully and put a few things on her plate.

"Eat more, please." Severus admonished. "There is a lot here and I don't want to waste. Eat as much as you can."

"Thank you." Rose answered. She put exactly as much on her plate as she had Severus' and not a crumb more.

Severus sighed, but said nothing even though he knew Harry normally ate much more than he could. Severus wasn't making up for years of not getting enough food, and he wasn't a growing boy either. They ate in silence. Not that Rose could talk much anyway. Severus grimaced and wondered how long she would be Out.

She was still around when they finished dinner so he tried to think of something she could do. Not cooking or cleaning, Omi would die. That left gardening. "Come."

She stood and quickly followed. He took her down into the basement. He had many herbs growing along one wall under a section of the ceiling that had been spelled to give off gentle sunlight. They were for potions. Harry/Rose looked over at him curiously.

"Would you like to help me tend to my herbs and ingredients?" He asked.

Rose nodded with a bright happy smile before walking over and setting in. She was very gentle with the plants and her hands were skilled and sure. Severus watched to make sure she was okay before going over to a cauldron. He might as well use the time to make a potion. He was running low on Calming Draughts in any case. They worked for several hours peacefully. Severus was almost startled when he heard a loud, "Where are we?"

"In the basement. My private potions lab." Severus answered evenly, not exactly sure who he was talking too.

"Should of guessed." The boy scowled. "I bet you go into withdraw if you keep away from dungeons too long."

"What do you want, Gabriel? There is nothing to fight here." Severus answered with a glare.

"But maybe Harry thinks there is." Gabriel answered and strode forward until he stood defiantly right in front of the man. "We're out of here."

"Where are you going?" Severus drawled as the boy strode past him toward the stairs.

"We don't need you. You aren't helping. You're making things worse and I bet you're doing it on purpose!"

"You can't leave." Severus smirked. "The doors and windows are spelled to keep you inside."

"Then I'll just have to break the lock, won't I?" Gabriel smiled dangerously.

That was all the warning Severus got before he was dodging spells much higher than a second year should know. He cursed as he quickly ran up the stairs. There were too many volatile things down in the lab. He had to get to the dueling room on the second floor. But Gabriel wasn't playing around and it was hard to maneuver. Which was really embarrassing since Harry was only thirteen.

Curtains exploded in a wave of flame as Gabriel tried to ignite his professor. Severus shot binding curses back, but the teen dodged easily and jumped back to his feet throwing curse after curse as he stalked closer to the downed professor. Severus erected a repelling shield and bolted upstairs. Gabriel was smart and aimed for the stairs themselves, knowing the teacher was off limits now. There was a deafening crack and the staircase began to jerk and crumble under Severus' feet. He cursed and threw himself onto the second landing, panting.

"Brilliant move." He sneered down at the boy. "How will you reach me now? I can wait you out, you know."

Gabriel didn't answer. Instead he pointed the wand at his own feet and levitated himself up and over the second story banister. Severus cursed again and made for the dueling room. Once they were there, he went all out. Using every spell he knew that would bind, confuse, knock over, or blind his opponent, as well as every shield and repellant in his arsenal.

Gabriel was good. He was agile and fast, determined and focused. His spell casting was incredible. He could have more than four spells active at the same time without any loosing strength. But even though his knowledge of offensive and defensive spells was surprising, it was still limited. Severus guessed it didn't extend past fifth year or so. Severus had the advantage there. But the child knew how to use the spells he had mastered and knew how to improvise and think on his feet. Severus really could see the seasoned warrior in this alter.

An hour into the duel, Severus was hit from behind with a Petrificus Totalus spell that Gabriel had bounced off a mirror. Severus was shocked. Why hadn't he ever thought of that? His magic immediately began eating at the spell holding him immobile. He'd be free in seconds, already his head and face was free from the curse, but that wasn't long enough. He stared up Gabriel's wand and saw triumph, but not glee in the serious green eyes.

"Goodbye, Professor."

The teen's mouth opened again to say another curse, one Severus was sure would end his life so that Harry could leave the house. But before he could speak the green eyes fogged and Gabriel's posture melted into the relaxed readiness of a wary cat. It was Silas. Severus kept relief from his face and stared stonily up at the youth.

Silas' mouth quirked into a bemused half-smile, "I'm astonished, really. I had no idea Gabriel would be able to get this far."

"Release me." Severus glared his most threatening glare.

"Why should I waste energy to do that?" Silas asked silkily. "If I'm not mistaken, you are about to break free on your own."

Severus did just that and stood, still glaring, but Silas met his dark eyes calmly. To get away from that emerald gaze and to reign in his temper before he did something he regretted, Severus turned away to brush himself off violently. He turned back when he felt more in control of himself. Silas was smirking.

"What's going on, brat?" He demanded.

"What? No thank you for saving your life?" Silas mocked hurt and tisked disapprovingly.

"I'm in no mood for games." Severus snarled.

"Could have fooled me."

"Silas, I'm not going to warn you again."

The teen took a deep breath and grew serious, "Harry spent about two days fuming, sleeping, and thinking. He's royally mad at us, by the way. Then he just gave up. He was sick and tired of the emotional see-saw. Gabriel and I have been keeping the others at bay, but all this stress is really putting a toll on us. When Harry willingly retreated… viola! You have us for several hours. It's good for us anyway. We were really going stir crazy."

"And Gabriel's time just happened to be up?" Severus scoffed.

"No, but he had been Out long enough that I could exert myself and replace him. It wasn't like there was a situation to anchor him."

"You couldn't intervene earlier?" Severus asked icily.

"Why should I? Gabriel needed to let off steam." Silas shrugged, unconcerned.

"So Kit, Boy, and Demon need to come Out still?" He asked, trying to change the subject so that he didn't strangle the brat's neck.

"No. Kit came out first. She had a nice long bath. Then Rose, who got the attention of Omi by cleaning up the bathroom and starting on our room. Boy doesn't need Out because he already came Out to help Harry when he first realized what happened to make Kit. And Demon… well, he is definitely restless, but we don't want him to come Out. Ever. He'll settle down and go back to sleep once the pressure on Harry let's up. Now. If you'll excuse me, I think you have a house to repair, and I have books I'd like to look through."

Severus glared as the teen walked out of the room without a backward glance. When he was sure he had given the boy enough time to get to the library, he made his way into the hall to begin repairing the damage Gabriel had caused. There wasn't that much. The little fiend had good aim. Shaking his head, Severus called Omi and they got to work.

xXxXxXx

"Oh thank Merlin." Severus sighed as he came downstairs for breakfast and music reached his ears. Mostly scales, but sometimes Harry would venture to create melodies before slipping back into the scale pattern. This was a great sign that Harry was ready to stop hiding. Though Severus knew that didn't necessarily mean the boy wouldn't try hiding if things got tough again.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter." He drawled.

Harry looked up startled. He hadn't heard Snape come in and he hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. Then he realized what his professor had called him and frowned. "Is something wrong?" He asked timidly.

"No." Severus answered and sat next to the boy on the piano bench. "I have repaired the damage, so all is fine. This time."

"Damage?" Harry blinked and then he tensed. "Someone came Out, sir?"

"Yes. All of them except Demon and Boy."

Harry looked down at his fisted hands. "What happened?"

"Hmmm…" Severus drawled lazily. "Kit took a bath. Horrible that. And then Rose tried to clean the whole house. Gave poor Omi a bit of a shock. He felt threatened. Thought maybe you were trying to take his job."

Harry was looking up at this point and was clearly trying not to laugh.

Pleased with himself, Severus continued: "I had to distract her with tending to my potions ingredients to keep Omi from spraining something. Then Gabriel felt a bit repressed and decided to try me in a duel. He, of course, was deadly serious, thinking it was about time you left. Curtains were executed by fire, and the stairs fell tragically by a spell I didn't quite catch. The walls maintained their honor, however, and remained standing, bearing their few dents admirably. I sustained minor bruising and had to suffer a lecture from Silas for losing to the 'moron' Gabriel. He then promptly left me to go to the library for more interesting conversation. A rather eventful day, yes?"

"Yes, sir." Harry said and couldn't contain it. He began laughing hard. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Which part?" Severus crossed his arms and glared. "I hope you are referring to Omi's frightful state and not my being held hostage by the end of your wand."

"Of course, Professor." Harry laughingly reassured the man.

"Good. And it is Severus, Harry. I've put up with 'sir' tolerably, but Professor is where I draw the line."

"Yes, Severus." Harry grinned cheekily.

"Come to breakfast." Severus ordered firmly, all seriousness. "And you will be returning to lessons and training this afternoon."

"Yes, sir." Harry answered easily, still smiling.

Harry ate three servings of a hearty breakfast. Severus said nothing about this, but ate his normal portion slowly so that they would finish about the same time. Harry was very determined to apologize to the little elf, but Omi was just as determined not to receive one. It was scandalous that such a wonderful wizard should apologize when they didn't even do anything wrong. So he'd pop in and out at record speed. Frustrated at first, Harry eventually relaxed and just laughed about the elf's antics.

The mood quickly turned serious as they let the dinning room and went to the parlor for their daily therapy. Harry was nervous, but Snape's calm was contagious. By the time he was sitting in his favorite place on the couch, he wasn't even fidgeting. He really was ready to face this thing. He was sick of crying and wanted to get over it because having it hover over him was going to quickly drive him completely insane.

"So I take it you're feeling better?" Severus began.

"Yes. I want to understand this and accept it. I'm tired of sitting in my room with everything locked in there with me." Harry stated and bit his lip. "But I don't seem to be making progress. I've thought over all you've said. And I do understand it. Really, I do. But it doesn't change how I feel about Kit or any of it one bit."

"That's understandable, Harry." Severus assured. "This isn't something you wake up to and say 'I'm over this now', and go on your way with a smile."

"Then what do I do?"

"You do exactly as you are. You acknowledge the problem and face it every day while continuing to live. You'll eventually realize that it isn't the end of you or all of you. Then you will feel what you already know. And hopefully then Kit will be no more, except as a working, healthy part of Harry."

"Sounds nice." Harry admitted.

"Are you still having nightmares?"

"Yes. But it's just the same one over and over again." Harry shivered, wrapping his arms around his chest. "I don't remember anything new or see who's…doing that to me."

"It will come." Severus brushed that aside. "We will see how often these nightmares occur, but they are obviously affecting how much sleep you get at night. These dreams are good because they will help you come to terms with what happened, but I don't want you exhausted. If it becomes necessary, I have Dreamless Sleep."

"Thank you, sir." Harry said softly as his arms slowly loosened.

Severus nodded, "You are having difficulties with the other alters?"

"How did you know?"

"I believe Silas mentioned something."

"Oh." Harry began fidgeting. "I was really mad at them. I blamed them for what happened. Said they should have protected me from it or told someone afterward since I couldn't. I know that's stupid because I'm just blaming myself, and I do know they couldn't do anything because they didn't know what to do. They are me and even now I still don't know what to do. Besides, being angry at them doesn't help."

"So you're not angry?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am." Harry said grimly. "I'm angry at whoever did this. But it wasn't Silas or Gabriel's fault. It's not even Kit's fault, though I still can't stand her."

"Still, that's progress." Severus smiled sardonically.

"I guess."

"How long were you playing this morning?"

"Three hours about." Harry shrugged.

"I see." Severus stood. "Then I think we should go straight to lessons. I have drawn up a test for you."

Harry groaned as he followed his professor, but there was a faint smile curling the ends of his lips.

xXxXxXx

That night after a long day, Harry flipped open his journal and wrote, Did you really beat the Professor in a duel?

Yeah. Gabriel answered. Was difficult too. That bastard can move when he wants.

You don't like him, do you? Harry frowned.

He's alright. Gabriel wrote the last word very slowly to show just how reluctant he was to give the man even that much.

Don't listen to him. Silas argued. He's a moron. Professor Snape has done nothing but help us. He's been honest and kept us secret.

You think. You don't know that for sure. Gabriel argued back. He could have told the Headmaster for all we know.

But he didn't. Silas wrote with emphasis.

How do you know?

Okay, lets not waste paper with an argument. Harry intervened.

Fine. Gabriel wrote firmly. Harry guessed he was in a huff.

So you are no longer angry at us? Silas asked casually.

Not really. Harry shrugged.

Good. Gabriel wrote.

Why did you duel the Professor anyway?

I wanted out of here. I had to move, couldn't sit still. Couldn't think of anything past being free and he stood in the way. Besides, all this work and it doesn't seem to be helping.

Fast enough, you mean. Silas' letters drawled out on the page. Even you can't be dense enough not to see that he's helping Harry.

Yeah. Fine. Fast enough.

Well, we're sticking it out. Harry wrote cheerfully. Didn't think you'd be the one to back down from a fight, Gabriel. And I thought Silas was cynical and untrusting.

No. I'm merely cautious. Silas wrote lazily. I find no gain in us leaving what we have here behind. We do have enemies. Let's not run into their hands. We are safe here. For now. Severus has yet to betray us so we should treat him accordingly. Not to say we shouldn't be prepared should he turn on us.

And I'm not running away. Gabriel defended himself. I may want to leave, but I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted to blow off steam, as Silas said. I could have offed him and escaped, but I let Silas take over instead. So that proves it.

Offed? Harry asked worriedly.

He has no trouble defending us to that point. Silas explained. I would as well if I were pushed in a corner, though I wouldn't get us into such a corner in the first place. Gabriel has killed before. The basilisk remember?

Yeah. But that wasn't a person. There's a huge difference. Harry argued.

There is. Gabriel agreed. I'm not going to go around killing people, Harry. But I would kill if it meant protecting all our lives. I'd do everything in my power to find another way first, and I'd also sacrifice myself to protect innocents, but I'd like to avoid that, even if Silas doesn't believe me.

You are right. I don't.

Well, okay, I guess. He paused to yawn. I'm going to go to sleep. Goodnight, guys. Harry shut the journal and set it on the nightstand. With a whispered word, the spelled lighting turned off and he was left in a comfortable darkness. He curled up under the thick blankets and let the warmth put him to sleep. He hoped he wouldn't dream again.

xXxXxXx

Harry stood panting. His body ached from all the throws Snape had demonstrated on him. He couldn't do many because of his small size compared to Snape, but it was good for him to learn. Harry shook his head with a grimace. Good for creating aches and pains, more like. He sighed and stepped up so that Snape could wrap his arms around his chest, pinning his arms to his side. Harry responded by going limp and Snape loosened his hold to grab him in a more comfortable way. Harry exploded into movement, knocking Severus over and getting free as soon as he had leeway.

"Very good!" Severus stood and reached for the boy's shoulders.

Harry ducked and rolled away, knowing that they weren't through. He smiled at Snape's look of approval. They worked on other moves for two more hours, ending with fifteen minutes of just fist-fighting. Both of them were sweating and out of breath before Snape called a halt to the day's training. Harry was really glad he only had these lessons twice a week. Snape promised he'd enjoy them more as he got better, but so far he only tolerated them because Gabriel loved them and watched and learned avidly over his shoulder, so to speak.

xXxXxXx

Sitting at the piano, his long fingers explored the notes, falling on a key every second or so. It sounded like slow, chiming rain. There was something about these sounds that never failed to reach inside of him. He smiled as he tapped on the keys. Slowly a vague melody could be heard. The rain of sound began to fall harder, the melody sure and steady. Harry bowed his head over the keys as his hands danced to the slow song.

Unknown to him, it was Brahm's Lullaby, something his mother had played for him when he was restless at night. A gentle smile caressed his mouth as he rocked slowly with the beat. Closing his eyes, the gentle sounds he was creating filled his heart and soul. The piano was singing to him. Kit stirred in pleasure, reaching forward to get Out. Harry's hands fell heavily, loud and discordant notes bringing the melody to a painful halt. The room slowly fell silent as the harsh noise faded from the air. No. He wouldn't let her Out.

Harry let his hands push forcefully at the keys. He thought of her and felt betrayal and incomprehension. It didn't matter how many sessions he had with Snape. He wouldn't, couldn't accept that she was rightfully a piece of him. And even if she was, it was good riddance. He didn't need her and what she offered to him. He was surviving just fine without her truly a part of him.

Gritty, sharp strains of music marched obediently from his hands and erased even the memory of the pleasant lullaby.

xXxXxXx

Snape had made Harry research each of the three shielding spells the day before he was allowed to try to cast them. It had taken only three days to master the easiest, the Blocking Shield. Harry had incanted Tectussitum while swishing his wand sharply across his body at least a dozen times before the shield actually held and blocked Snape's attack. It only blocked a single spell, however, and he had been knocked down by the second spell Snape had cast to be sure Harry would remember the Blocking Shield's weakness. In all, it was easy to cast and maintain, but was little protection. Still, it could be useful.

It had taken eight days to get the Absorption Shield to work for him. He probably would have picked it up faster, but had lost three days of training while coming to terms with finding out what had made Kit. The incantation was Tectum Haurio and the shield would absorb the strength from the attacking spell and feed it to the one being attacked. Its longevity varied; Snape could hold it for about five minutes, but Harry was still falling just short of two. It didn't drain the caster's magic, but it did take a lot of focus to maintain or it would fade.

Today was his ninth day at practicing the last and hardest general shield, and Harry was sure he'd get it right today. He was heartily tired of being knocked over by Snape. For the sixth time that day, he shouted "Tectum Repercutio". A dome of blue light surrounded him and Severus fired off a spell. The shield buckled and Harry was flung to his back. Again.

He quickly stood and recast the shield. Snape drawled out a curse and this time Harry's shield flashed white. It remained steady and repelled the spell back toward Snape. His teacher dove and rolled, all the time firing more spells. Harry began to sweat and his hands trembled, but his eyes flashed with determination and triumph. He had done it! But he could only hold it for sixty seconds before he collapsed, panting. Severus strode over to him and had him drink a strengthening potion. He smiled feebly as he was helped to his feet.

"You did well. Now let's try again before we get some lunch."

"Sounds good to me." Harry agreed, ignoring his fatigue. As Snape and Silas would say, his enemies wouldn't wait till he was feeling one hundred percent before attacking. Harry could only shake his head at the two's paranoia, but he'd do anything to keep them off his back For a little while at least.

xXxXxXx

"I'm not sure there is much left to say." Harry sighed as he sat down on the couch across from Severus.

Over the last couple weeks he had faced his nightmares and they no longer sent him into panic attacks or came every night anymore. He had even accepted that what happened wasn't his fault. He still felt a little ashamed for allowing it to happen, but realized that he hadn't had the skill or knowledge to prevent it. He didn't even blame Kit, but he still couldn't accept what she stood for. He couldn't understand it and honestly didn't believe he needed her back. His therapy with Snape had helped him a lot and he had come a long way, but he couldn't seem to take the next steps in reabsorbing his alter.

"I agree." Severus nodded. "You've done really well here, Harry. But I can't give you what you need to fully move past what happened."

"So that's it?" Harry lowered his head and stared at his hands. He was surprised how much it bothered him that Snape was giving up. "I'm hopeless?"

"Not at all. I merely said at this time you need something other than I can give." Severus reassured. "I have to return to Hogwarts. I have things to prepare. School starts in little more than week."

"So I'm staying here? You think being on my own will help me?" Harry asked doubtfully, looking into his teacher's face.

"No. I don't think it will, actually." Snape smiled grimly. "So I've come up with a better solution. You will stay at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. The owner owes me a few favors and has proven himself able to hold a secret."

"Wh-what?" Harry was shocked.

"Hmmm… yes… You will abide by my rules if this is to happen." Severus glared at the boy. He wanted to be perfectly clear how serious he was about Harry's obedience. "All of you will abide by the rules or you will suffer my consequences."

"Yes, sir." Harry squeaked fearfully.

Severus nodded, satisfied. "You will stay at the Leaky Cauldron and be within your room before the sun sets. You will not leave it before the sun rises. During the day, you may venture into Diagon Alley, but you will not go into any side streets or enter the muggle world. You will not go off with strangers, no matter how friendly they seem. You will not invite anyone into your room."

"What about my friends?" Harry questioned.

It was even and not demanding. By the tone, Severus knew that Harry would be sad if he was refused, but wouldn't go against his rules. It was this that led him to relent. "Your friends from Hogwarts may come up, but no one else."

"Thank you." Harry smiled.

Severus ignored him, "Do you understand and give me your word to follow these directives?"

"Yes." Harry nodded firmly.

"What about Silas and Gabriel? I would like their word as well." Severus said seriously. He hated to treat the alters as separate persons, but this was necessary.

"Yeah. Sure." Gabriel shrugged.

"I will." Silas drawled and flicked his fingers dismissively. "But tell me, is there some threat we should be wary off?"

Severus looked at the child before him. The messy black hair, the temporarily cunning and shrewd emerald gaze, the skinny body; there was nothing here that told of the boy's amazing strength or his surprising fragility. In fact, Harry's scar was almost completely hidden by his hair now that it had grown out a few inches. He was sure the boy would cut it soon, growing annoyed with constantly having to brush it out of his eyes. It was sometimes difficult to remember why this child was so special, but it was times like this that it became all too clear.

"Yes. Have Harry come back."

Silas nodded and in a second Harry was blinking up at him, "Did they promise?"

"They did. But Silas asked a question I want you to hear the answer too. He asked if there was a specific threat at the root of my request of your caution. The answer is yes. A man escaped from Azkaban, the British wizarding world's toughest and most horrific prison. The escapee is Sirius Black. He was once Voldemort's right hand man, but was captured the day after Voldemort disappeared from public light. He was repeating your name over and over before he escaped. There is reason to believe that he is after you. That is why you must be cautious at Diagon Alley."

"I understand, sir." Harry said softly. "But if it's so dangerous, why are you letting me go?"

"Because it will be a long time before you will not be in danger. You can't be locked away, I realize. Also, Diagon Alley will be busy and full of witches and wizards should you need help. You will be in at dark and Tom, the owner, will be looking out for you." Snape reached into his robes and pulled out a bracelet. "You will be able to summon me with this should you have need by breaking it. I have taught you defensive spells, you have mastered the three basic shields, and you know enough hand-to-hand to allow you to flee. I believe that the risks of the situation are balanced by your skills as long as you remain cautious."

Harry fingered the tiny silver chain bracelet that Snape clasped around his wrist. It wasn't tight, but it wasn't so loose as to dangle. He liked it and smiled gratefully up at his teacher. Now that he was faced with leaving and returning to Hogwarts, he realized just how much he was going to miss it here.

"Thank you, Pro- I mean, Severus. For everything you've done for me." He said levelly, locking eyes with the man before him. "You've really helped me and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

"I don't need your thanks." Severus stood and Harry did the same. "At least, not yet. When you are through this and standing strong and whole, then we might think of some kind of recompense. Go and pack your things. We leave in an hour."

Chapter end.

A/N: There were a few people concerned that the piano wasn't a good medium for some of the other alters, mainly Demon. That isn't a problem because no one but Harry will play piano. The others don't need it. Music is a way for Harry to come to terms with things and allow himself a way to work through his emotions and thoughts. It is a form of self-realization and therapy, as well as a hobby. The alters don't need this.

A/N2: Some reviewers have protested to my use of the word fuckable. I used it not because I find thirteen year olds sexy or because Snape did. I used it because that section was written in Kit's POV and it demonstrated how she thinks, and shows her mindset.