If Found Please Return to Harry Potter at Hogwarts Castle.
Chapter One
Severus's Ruined Summer Evening
Sitting on his sofa, his not the one in his quarter's at Hogwarts, Severus Snape was enjoying a peaceful cup of hot tea and some biscuits.
Hearing the doorbell, he ignored it, drinking a sip of his tea and turning the page in his newly delivered muggle mystery book. When there was the sound of knocking, he just ignored it, certain it was a mistake, until the quiet sound of the door unlocking forced him to put down his latest obsession.
When he saw the old man wearing garish clothes, he said: "The door was locked for a reason."
"My boy, I was sure that I was going to find you unconscious laying on the ground with an exploded potions cauldron next to you," Albus said with a wide smile on his face.
"Strangely enough Albus, I find I enjoy my summers to be potions free. Now perhaps you would care to tell me why you would so rudely interrupt what free time I have from those dunderheads you call students." He asked as he took another sip of his tea and in spite of a slight cough and stare from the old man at his teapot, refused to even think of offering him anything to drink.
Growling when the Headmaster sat down and conjured up himself a tea cup then poured some of his favorite Oolong tea out of the pot, Severus stated: "I'm waiting."
"Severus, were you aware that the Weasley family won the annual Prophet sweepstakes, this year?" Albus queried.
"Please tell me you didn't come all this way to ruin my evening by discussing one of those red-headed menaces." The raven haired man asked. "I take great pleasure in knowing that that woman has finally lost the ability to spring more of her unremarkable and uncouth offspring onto the world."
"Severus, now I know that the Weasleys has been a handful this year..." Albus began to speak only for Severus to snort. "They do mean well."
"Sir, I must beg to differ." He replied stiffly. "The youngest boy has the potions making skill of a limp-wristed gorilla and that girl has spent her entire first year either obsessed with a book she should have known better than to write in or with Potter. The twins, well they are at least adequate at potions but it doesn't make up for their deplorable lack of manners. The eldest boy who I am sure you will make the Head Boy this upcoming year is an ass kisser, who will make Potter's year as Head Boy seemed angelic because he can't control his own siblings and most of the student body treats him like the prat he is."
"That is if they return from Egypt," Albus said worriedly. Seeing Severus seem to perk up at the idea of a Weasley-free school year, he shook his head torn between amusement at the expression on his potions master's face or annoyance at it. "The entire family was arrested upon their entrance into the country."
Rolling his eyes, Severus asked "What happened? The twins prank the customs officials? Ronald offend them by eating their mascot, or did Geneva throw herself at yet another dark artifact?"
"I only wish it was so simple," Albus admitted. "I am afraid that Molly tried to smuggle in food products then..."
Hearing Severus trying to hide his need to snicker, the Headmaster had to admit that he had found himself smirking when he had heard what the woman had done until he had found out how serious it was. "That, however, was the least of the problems. It seems that young Ronald's pet rat was the issue."
Frowning, Severus said, "I still don't get why you allowed him to have a rat when Mr. Nott was refused permission to bring his lizard."
"Unfortunately, I was unaware that the rat had been here while it was the pet of young Percy." Severus frowned when he saw the heavy expression on the Headmaster's face.
"Albus, what is it?"
"All animals entering magical Egypt are given a magical physical. Mr. Weasley's pet turned out to be an animagus." Albus stated.
"Potter?" Severus asked resigned to having to head to Egypt to retrieve the boy who lived to make his life difficult.
"No, thankfully Mr. Potter hasn't mastered that skill yet," Albus stated while perking up at the idea he might attempt it given the right conditions.
"I don't see Granger even with her prodigious curiosity transfiguring into a rat even to see a new country," Severus said settling back onto his sofa now that he knew he wouldn't be heading to Egypt.
"No, the rat was Peter Pettigrew, Severus," Albus said shaking his head, still feeling dazed by all that had happened that morning.
"Pettigrew? I thought Black killed him." Severus replied, his brow furrowing as he tried to figure out how on earth a weak brained idiot like Pettigrew was able to become an animagus when there were only three in the country. It was one of the most difficult disciplines in Transfiguration.
"According to Amelia Bones who is apparating back with the transcript along with Fudge and the three Wizengamot witnesses that the Egyptian magical government allowed us to send, apparently not."
"What does this mean?" Severus asked.
"It seems that under Veritiaserum, Pettigrew admitted to being the Potter's secret keeper, to being a death eater and to selling them out for the offer of being Voldemort's right-hand man." Albus sorrowfully told him. "He stated that Black showed up and confronted him on the street about his crimes and to escape, he cut off his digit and blew up the muggles in the street to cover that he was alive."
Stunned, Severus said "Pettigrew was little more than a pissant. How?"
"Fudge was rather rude to the Egyptian representative regarding the fast trial and as a result, we didn't get to question Pettigrew before he was put to death," Albus replied sick at the lose of a life that could have been turned around now that he had admitted his crimes.
"I did hear that the Egyptians dealt with criminals in a swift and deadly manner," Severus said while idly curious what Molly Weasley's punishment will be. He could almost imagine the red headed woman trying to hug herself free and was gleefully thinking that maybe they might force her to withstand the hug of an anaconda snake. It's the only hug he could even find to compare to the overly maternal woman. "So what happens now?"
"That is the problem. It seems that the Ministry is having a bad week. First, the Egyptians touted their catching of Pettigrew far and wide so the whole magical world knows, but when they went to free Sirius Black, it seems he escaped earlier that day from Azkaban."
"So he is a wanted criminal?" Severus asked amused by the idea of Black's own impatience doing his school years nemesis in.
"No, that is what I mean by the Ministry having a bad week. Rita Skeeter found that there was never a trial. Crouch placed Black in Azkaban without a trial or even questioning him. The public is up in arms, first to find out that he was wrongly convicted, then to find out there was no trial. Needless to say, Fudge is apocalyptic at being unable to cover up what happened."
"I am sure he is." Severus murmured thinking that explains why Lucius Malfoy had canceled their dinner that evening. He must be trying prop up his bought and paid for Minster.
Two nights later, Severus finally had dinner with Lucius who told him the rest of the story. "Bones went to arrest Barty Crouch and found his son, his supposedly dead in Azkaban son being concealed at his house."
"A second escapee from Azkaban," Severus said surprised. "Did they find out how?"
"Some sort of sob story about his dying wife and her wanting to save their only son. Barty Jr. tried to fight it out with the Aurors and is dead." Lucius stated. "Fudge is fit to be tied because somehow all of this already in the hands of the ICW."
"What do you hear about Black?" Severus asked.
"They have no idea how he escaped. Fudge was at Azkaban two days prior. Visited Black's cell and said that he had even sounded relatively sane. That Black had asked for Fudge's crossword puzzle in the prophet. He had given it to the man, they found it in the cell. They searched the entire island and all they found were a couple of dogs."
"Will he be arrested?" Severus asked, torn between his duty to Lily and his youthful pain. If Sirius was freed, it would release Severus from his recently found out responsibilities. Ones that he still hadn't told anyone about and that he was debating ignoring.
"No. Fudge wants him found so that he can do damage control to his public image," Lucius said. "Narcissa wants to see him as well."
"Ah, so your wife wants to see her cousin?" He asked.
"He is in a cell next to Bellatrix. My guess is she is wondering how she is." Lucius said with a shrug. He hated his sister-in-law and was quite happy she was locked away in what had long been thought an inescapable prison.
"With Azkaban's swinging doors, I am shocked that Bella didn't attempt an escape," Severus said shivering at how insane the already borderline psychotic female death eater must now be.
"I made a point of making sure she was still locked up there yesterday. Thankfully she and her husband are safely behind locked doors." Lucius muttered into his fire-whiskey still furious when he thought about that skinny black dog that had peed on him as he waited to leave the island on the last boat of the day. He had been wishing for his wand which was kept back at the guard desk and only returned to him when they had been back in Britain but by that time, the dog had disappeared over the horizon.
Severus waited until Lucius had left before heading into his study and kicking off his shoes to settle down to read the next chapter in his mystery novel.
Soon drifting off to sleep, he never felt the soft touch of a woman brushing his lank hair off his face, nor heard her leaning down to whisper into his ears.
All he knew was he seemed to be dreaming about one Harry James Potter and how he should be protecting the boy emotionally as well as physically. Turning over in his sleep, trying to avoid the softly whispered words, he moaned no, please anything but that as he saw himself acting in the parental role to the boy who seemed to need his comfort.
Waking up, reaching over with shaking hands to turn on the muggle light, he found it hard to regain control of his emotions. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Severus stood and moved to the window knowing what had caused this dream. A newly found Goblin document that left him completely confused.
Staring out over the dark void, he couldn't help growling in anger. The school was out for the year, yet one Harry James Potter, the boy who seemed to have no common sense was interrupting his free time, the only time he had to escape his worries.
Frowning as he recalled hearing Lily's voice, he muttered "Lily, he's safe from the Dark Lord, what more do you want me to do. If you were so worried about his emotional well-being, maybe you should be haunting the Weasleys, they are all about emotions."
Harry awoke sweating from the heat; never noticing he was engulfed in a pale purple shadow of light. Sitting up and looking around, Harry felt reassured to be in his bedroom on Privet Drive, shocked to be taking comfort in that fact as the eerie laughter faded from his memory.
Looking at the small clock that had belonged to Dudley at one point; Harry saw that it was only three in the morning. He found himself staring out the window, looking up at the sky and trying to figure out what his nightmare had been about.
Slowly the constant ticking of the clock eased him back into a deep sleep, then the wraith that had hidden in the corner walked over, brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"I am so sorry, my son. My trusting the wrong person cost you so much. Your Mom and I are working on putting things to rights but in order for this to work, you are going to have to find a way to see past what is on the surface. Its why we did what we did to young Ronald. So he would still be your friend when the truth comes out." With that, the wraith pressed a kiss to his forehead, then floated out the window and off to join his wife.
"Did it work?" He asked her as they met up in the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts.
"I think so. Severus is so stubborn, but hopefully, he finds the strength to do what needs to be done." Lily said as she looked around the classroom while resting her head on her husband's shoulder. "I trust you left Petunia and that man alone?"
"I didn't harm a hair on their head." He stated. "I wanted to but just in case Harry doesn't figure it out on his own I won't bring Vernon's wrath down on him for something I did. Now, what did you need to accomplish here tonight?"
"I need to get to Professor McGonagall's office. Harry's classes need to be changed." She said with a frown. "No child of mine is going to be taught by that old fraud Trelawny; not while I can put a stop to it."
Floating through the hallways, deftly avoiding the few remaining teachers and knowing that the ghosts would stay silent, they floated through the doorway and when Minerva McGonagall woke up and read her morning mail, she would be thrilled with the knowledge that Mr. Potter had taken the time to really think about his extra classes this year.
When Harry arrived downstairs and had begun preparing breakfast, he felt an odd sense of de Ja Vous when he heard Vernon telling his wife that his sister would be paying them a visit.
Harry had just sat down and begun to eat what little he was allotted when he heard Vernon telling him that there had better not be any funny business. Looking at the man seated across from him, Harry thought about the permission slip in his recent letter from Hogwarts and had an idea.
"If you would like, I could be out of the house the entire two weeks." Hiding his grin, he offered. He had been thinking at first of promising no funny business if they signed the permission slip, but he had a feeling that this was an even better idea.
Watching Uncle Vernon's eyes narrowing gimlet tight, Harry played innocent and said: "I have to pick up my text books and I can go stay at a friend's house if need be until school starts."
"You swear not to get us in trouble with that Dumbledore man?" Vernon asked his eyes boring into Harry's. "You won't come back until next summer?"
"If I can find a way to avoid coming back next summer, I also promise to do that," Harry said.
"What is this permission slip for?" Petunia asked suspiciously.
"It's so that I can go to the village near the school a few times next year." He replied carefully avoiding the word magical.
"Fine, go get the letter and your trunk. I will even drive you to London if it means we don't have to deal with your company while Marge is here." Vernon offered.
Harry went up to his room, packed what little he had kept out, opened the floor board and removed his wand and invisibility cloak as well as the food he had stored there. Letting Hedwig loose, he wrote a quick note to Hermione and was about to write one to Ron when an unknown owl flew into his room.
Reading the article about the Weasley family winning the money that was going to pay for a trip to Egypt, he felt a sense of dismay at losing a potential bolt hole even as he felt happy for his friend and his family.
Hearing Uncle Vernon shouting for him to hurry up, Harry sent his own owl to Hermione and then told her to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron.
Dragging his trunk downstairs and handing the slip over to his uncle, he inwardly cheered when the grumbling man signed it then ordered him to take his trunk out to the boot of the company car.
When Vernon sneered at the rundown side of London where he had the man drop him off, Harry just called out good-bye then dragged his trunk into the pub. Seeing the man Hagrid had told him owned the place; Harry asked to speak to him privately.
Off in a corner out of earshot of the patrons; Harry asked "Tom, Hagrid said that you have rooms for let. Would I be able to get one for a few weeks? My relatives are unavailable right now and I promise you won't even know I am here."
"That's fine, young Potter. It will be two galleons a week, for a total of five weeks, it will be ten galleons. I will put your room under your mother's last name so that no one bothers you." Tom replied then looking over asked one of his workers to carry the heavy trunk up to room six for Mr. Evans.
Paying the man, Harry was soon in his room and lying on his bed. Hearing a knock on the door, he opened it to be told that lunch was ready downstairs.
The publican put a notice me not charm on Harry then showed him to a table in the corner before bringing over a nice Shepherd's Pie, half a loaf of bread and a huge glass of milk.
Harry ate his early lunch slowly, eavesdropping in on the varied conversations around him. Hearing the name Weasley, his ears perked up Harry flinched as he heard the jokes about Molly Weasley having gotten her family arrested first for illegally importing food into Egypt than for fighting with the customs agents.
"Surely with Arthur working for the ministry, someone had the sense to tell them what they could and couldn't bring on the trip."
Hearing a witch scoff, Harry expected her to defend the family only for her to say "Old Arthur never did have a lick of sense. A nice congenial man, there is no doubt about it, but he would spend his last sickle to make that shrew of a wife of his happy."
"Now Molly isn't all that bad." He heard. "She is a bit of a fishwife, but see how you act when you are raising a half dozen kids on very little funds. I am sure that she never expected her luggage to be searched."
"That brings us back the news that her son had an animagus rat for a pet." The original bar patron replied. "I mean, their eldest works for the Goblins, old Arthur at the Ministry and yet none of them ever figured out that their sons had a death eater masquerading as a rat for a pet."
As that particular group left, Harry felt his stomach churning but kept eating, not wanting to offend Tom. He hated how the four witches and wizards had been gossiping about the Weasleys but at least now he knew why Ron hadn't answered his owl yet. Worried but not sure what he could do, he vowed to get a hold of the Prophet himself so that he wasn't hearing everything second hand.
Seeing two new people seated near him; he tried to tune out their conversation but instead overheard a witch breaking off her engagement to an argumentative wizard. Apparently, she felt he cared more about his favorite Quidditch team than he did her.
Two hours into Harry's eavesdropping just as he finished the huge slice of chocolate cake and yet a third glass of milk, Harry almost choked when he saw his Potions professor entering the Leaky Cauldron.
Snape greeted Tom, then sat down nearby to have a bite to eat.
Harry found himself staring at Snape like he was an exhibit at the local zoo. The man seemed almost normal as he ate some Shepherd's pie and drank a butter beer. When he saw a woman entering the pub, to Harry's shock she went over and sat with Snape, joining him for dessert.
Severus Snape felt uneasy but put it down to his lunch meeting with the editor of the Potion's monthly journal. He had been keeping up on the articles in the Daily Prophet about the escape of Sirius Black and knew that the idiot probably was as far away from Britain as he could be.
"Thank you for meeting with me, Master Snape." The tall woman said as she took out her notebook.
"Please, call me Severus." He replied then frowned inwardly at what had just come from his mouth. This was the third time in a week he had been overly friendly with a strange woman. What in the name of Merlin was going on with him?
"Thank you, Severus, please feel free to call me Teresa." She replied then began her interview. As they discussed the article he had written regarding his breakthrough for a longer lasting Wolfsbane potion, she went through all of the standard questions about his education and personal life then came to the meat and potatoes of why she was there.
Snape grimaced at the idea of an intro to his piece that sounded like little more than a fluff piece, but at least he would be getting the word out about his potions breakthrough.
"So, Severus, why were you so diligent in working on trying to create a long lasting version of the Wolfsbane potion?" The woman's flirtatious smile had his skin crawling with a need to get away.
Severus replied "When I was fifteen, a boy I knew sent me to a shack where a young werewolf was being kept. I was almost attacked as a result. When the Wolfsbane potion was first created, I found myself paying careful attention to the various journal articles and couldn't help thinking that there had to be a better way of stabilizing the potion."
"As it is, right now, we are relying on a half-crazed beast to remember to take the potion nightly. If the werewolf were to forget or the potion was to spoil before it was taken, we could have a disaster on our hands." He smoothly replied.
"I understand that you have a test subject who will be taking the new and improved potion for a year to see first if it works and then to check for any side effects." She said reaching out to touch his hand.
Severus pulled back, not comfortable with human contact from someone he wasn't familiar with. "Yes, actually my test subject is the very werewolf that almost attacked me."
Turning down the offer of a date, scowling at the woman who had the temerity to boldly ask him out, Severus went to the counter to pay his tab, wanting nothing more than to escape. He had been feeling off during the entire interview and he could find no reason for it.
Leaving the Leaky Cauldron and heading to Gringotts, Severus frowned when he saw that two of his fourth-year students were standing around gawking at him.
Getting his funds exchanged into pounds, with the intent to go pick up more books and some nice brandy for his parlor, he felt that same odd prickle from the Leaky Cauldron and looked around, trying to figure out what was making him so uneasy.
Harry watched from the corner as the pretty woman interviewing Snape thanked him for his time then asked if he would be interested in having dinner with her.
When Snape coldly replied no, Harry winced on behalf of the embarrassed and rejected blond. Even Harry at twelve almost thirteen years of age could see that the woman had been trying to get a date with the prickly wizard.
Tom came over and was speaking to Harry as Snape strolled out of the pub towards Diagon Alley. Looking at the time and deciding to head into the Alley himself, Harry went to pay Tom only to be told that his meals were including in the price of his room.
Thanking the man, Harry went into the Alley through the brick wall and was entering Gringotts when he saw Professor Snape exiting.
Inwardly hoping he wasn't seen, Harry to his surprise realized that the notice me not charm was still on him. Though from the way that the Goblin was staring at him, it didn't work on them.
Arriving at a teller, he was soon riding the miner's cart to his vault. Taking out some funds to get his school books and new robes, Harry left the bank and hoped that his potions professor had already left the Alley as he quickly returned to the pub and had Tom remove the charm.
In Flourish and Blott's, he handed over his letter listing his books and was told that the clerk would get them if he would like to look around. Harry had been disappointed when he had read the list earlier that day to find that somehow he had not been allowed to take Divination but instead was being made to take Runes and Arithmancy. He could only hope that Ron was also taking those classes with Hermione and himself.
Finding an old Hogwarts a History from over a hundred years before in the used book bin as he looked around, he found himself purchasing it with the intent to give it Hermione. Reading the sign about the special two for one they were having on used books, Harry randomly picked up a few extras curious to see what they were about.
Harry was the counter, after paying for his books and being handed them wrapped up amused to realize he had over twenty books when he realized he needed to hurry. He quickly went to Madam Malkins then back to the pub to finish his shopping the next day.
Waking up in his bed at the Inn, Harry stretched and saw to his surprise what had awoken him. Hedwig was sitting on her perch with a note attached to her leg.
Reading Hermione's note, he chuckled and wrote back that he was intending on starting his homework that very afternoon, that he had already purchased his books for the new school year.
Hedwig trilled her excitement at getting to fly free yet again when normally she was caged during the summer, so Harry thought about it and then wrote a note to Neville Longbottom so that his owl could really enjoy herself.
Down in the pub reading the Prophet, stunned at the knowledge it was imparting, as he ate a light breakfast, again with milk, Harry was hoping that no one was looking for him, the last thing he wanted right now was to be dragged back to the Dursleys.
Trying to figure out who to ask about this Peter Pettigrew and exactly what the connections were between his parents, this escaped not so guilty prisoner and the man who had been hiding at the Weasley's home as an animagus.
The only good part was that the Weasley family was exonerated regarding the rat/human. Molly, however, was being forced to take anger management classes and Harry couldn't help thinking that if such things existed in this world, why hadn't the Headmaster ever forced Snape to take them, or even Filch.
Carrying his transfiguration and potions books so that he could work on the assignments at the park he had seen off in the distance, Harry enjoyed the beautiful day, well aware that he could be caught and forced back to the Dursleys at any minute.
Picking up scroll paper, ink, a wand polishing kit and some treats for Hedwig, Harry found a quiet spot at the park and began to read the assigned chapters from the previous year's books.
The transfiguration assignment was simple, eighteen inches later and he was rolling it back up and carefully placing it back into his school bag.
His quill hovering over the scroll, his mind on anything but his assignment, Harry struggled to force himself to pay attention as he wrote, then stopped then wrote some more before finally getting into a rhythm as he finished the three-foot scroll.
Looking at his watch surprised to see it was lunch time, Harry realized he wasn't hungry but decided that after all that hard work, an ice cream sundae sounded divine.
Stopping at Florescues's ice cream shop, he was seated outside enjoying the never ending dish when he heard "So Mr. Potter, care to explain what you are doing alone in Diagon Alley?"
Groaning inwardly, wondering why he had had the bad luck to run into Snape two days in a row, he turned and told a half truth. "My uncle dropped me off. I picked up my books for the new year and was working on my homework."
"Mr. Potter do you really expect me to believe that you were doing your homework here?" Snape drawled as he looked around the busy shopping alley.
"Yes, in fact..." Harry pulled out his potions scroll. "See?"
Severus took the scroll and unrolled it. Reading what Potter had written, he rolled his eyes. Potter had the broad idea but as usual, he had gotten the finer details wrong and the handwriting was as atrocious.
Handing it to the boy, he demanded: "Read this to me."
He could see Harry wanted to protest but the boy took the scroll and began to read. Watching, he saw Harry squint as he read his own writing and asked: "Do you have your book with you?"
Taking the book and opening it to a random page, he handed it to Harry and said: "Read this out loud."
Seeing the boy squinting yet again, he looked around at the windows of nearby stores and said: "Potter, read that sign over there."
When the boy did so correctly without squinting, he sighed loudly and looked at Potter. "When was the last time you went to a healer about your eyes or an optometrist in the muggle world?"
The boy's eyes so like his mother's looked down then to the left and right before looking at him. "I have never been."
"How did you end up with glasses then?" He asked almost afraid of the answer.
"My primary school teacher told my aunt I needed glasses so she picked up some and told me to wear them." He said with a shrug.
"Grab your bags, Potter." When the boy had gathered his school supplies, Severus dragged him back to the Leaky Cauldron and looked at Tom. "Could you keep Potter's bags until he gets picked up. We will be back in an hour."
With that, ignoring the way the boy resisted, Snape exited the pub and arrived at an apparition point and snapped "Hold onto my arm."
The Potion's Master couldn't help being amused as Harry looked sick as they seemed to be squeezed through a tube then he found it amusing as the boy looked around the hospital. "Welcome to St. Mungo's, what may we do for you today?"
"We need a specialist healer for eyes." Snape haughtily stated while thinking that if the green tinge to Potter's skin didn't fade they just might need a general healer as well. "Now."
"But sir..."
"Be quiet, Potter." He told Potter who looked like he wanted to keep protesting but one glare silenced the boy. Being directed by the witch behind the counter to the second floor, he told Potter to keep up and soon they were in a lift.
Staying silent not understand what was motivating him to help his most annoying student, not wanting to deal with adolescent drama any more than he had to, Snape raised an eye brow at the boy when he seemed to hesitate to exit the lift. "I don't have all day, Potter.
Following his student down the hallway, they were soon in a private cubicle with a healer waiting to be checked out.
"What seems to be the problem today?" The cheery woman asked.
"The boy never got his eyes checked. Apparently, he missed that during his first year." Snape stated as his eyes scanned the annoying pest. He could be home, his shoes off, a sniffer full of some excellent brandy and a good book, but no, he was at the hospital with the Potter boy.
"Oh dear, let us see." She replied then began the test. Snape frowned at Harry's surprise when he was given an eye test similar to what was done in the muggle world. When the healer ordered the boy to remove his glasses and take the test again, she kept tutting as she wrote down some notes.
"Okay, we will have you right in just a jiffy." She said then came back with a tray full of frames. "Which ones do you like, dearie?"
Snape paid attention as Harry found something similar to what he already had and she used her wand to create the lens then handed it to the boy.
"You had better make them unbreakable. The boy tends to be accident prone." Snape directed and glared at the raven haired boy.
She removed the glasses, muttered another charm and then handed them back to Harry. "So dearie, how does that feel?"
To his shock, Harry thanked the healer then himself for bringing him. When he asked where to pay, he was told. "There is no charge dearie. This should have been done when you were given your physical for school."
Snape saw the startled expression on Potter's face and groaned "You were given a physical, Potter?"
Quietly Harry whispered "No. Hagrid didn't say anything about it when he brought me to get my supplies."
"What does Hagrid have to do with anything?" Snape asked with a frown. "Surely Professor McGonagall or the Headmaster brought you to Diagon Alley the first time?"
"No, it was Hagrid who came and got me. My relatives tried to reject my letter."
Hearing that Snape knew that he would have to speak to Tunie at some point. Thankfully before Potter could speak again, the healer reentered the room and asked if they wanted to do the physical now.
"I will have Madam Pomfrey take care of it when school starts. I am sure that Potter will feel more comfortable with someone he knows." Snape stated as he escorted Harry out of the cubicle and to the hallway.
Exiting the hospital, Harry was quickly told to grab onto Snape's arm and they were soon back in Diagon Alley. "I really don't like traveling in the magical world."
Looking at Potter, he couldn't resist "Let me guess you would rather fly on a broom than apparate?"
"Don't care much for floo travel either." He stated as he regained his equilibrium.
"Potter, when you get back to Hogwarts, don't forget to visit Pomfrey. Clearly, there was a mistake made in your introduction to Magic. My guess is that they treated you as a half-blood and not as a muggle raised student."
With that, Snape escorted him back to the Leaky Cauldron and saw the eye contact between the boy and the barkeep and knew that there was something strange going on, but deciding to let it go, for now, Snape told Harry to reread the chapters and rewrite his assignment for his class.
Leaving the pub, Snape apparated back to Hogwarts and went to find the Headmaster only to be told by Flitwick that he had gone to London.
"What about McGonagall?"
"She went to her place near John O'Groats," Flitwick stated as he looked at Snape. "You seem to have a real bee in your bonnet; care to talk about it?"
"No," Snape replied then went to his quarters. Flooing McGonagall, he asked "Do you have a few minutes? It's regarding Potter."
"It's summer, Severus, what could he have possibly done now?" She asked as she knelt in front of her fireplace. "Oh dear, did something happen regarding Pettigrew and Black? Albus said he would talk to Harry about things when school started again, but I fear it will be too late."
"Let me come over and I will explain." He replied and watching her nod and step back; he joined her at her stone crofter's cottage.
Filling her in on his visit to Diagon Alley for supplies and running into Potter and the subsequent visit to St. Mungo's he was surprised when she told him "Albus told me he was going to get Harry personally."
"He didn't and while Hagrid is a nice enough fellow, he was the worst person to be introducing anyone to the magical world, Minerva."
Shaking her head, McGonagall looked at him and replied "I agree, however, Albus tends to want to see the best in people. It's why I am sure that this plan of his to have Hagrid teaching is going to be a disaster. "
"What are you going to do about Potter?" He asked.
"I guess stop over to visit him at his home." She said reluctantly. "They were the worst kind of muggles when I saw them years ago. I hate to defy Albus, but clearly, he needs to be told what is going on before someone like Ronald tells him what he hears eavesdropping on his parents."
Hesitating, then looking at the woman, he said "I think Potter is staying at the Leaky Cauldron for some reason. He might already know some of this."
"Albus won't be happy about that." She said with a heavy sigh. "I guess I will have to go take him back to his relatives."
"Leave him there. I will keep an eye on him." Snape said and found himself once again wondering what had come out of his mouth. Seeing her shock, he muttered "He seemed fine and was actually working on school work. Far be it for me to interfere in Albus's golden boy doing summer homework for a change. If current events come up, I will take him straight to Albus."
"He wrote to me, dropped Divination and added Runes and Arithmancy." She told him proud of her young lion for thinking with his head.
Shocked, Snape said "Strange."
"I figured maybe someone mentioned his mother took those classes." She answered. "I am rather proud of him. Sibyl Trelawny is a terrible teacher. I hate to speak ill of a teacher but that woman frequently smells like sherry at lunch time."
Harry over the next few days found himself reading and comprehending his school text books a lot easier. By his birthday he had finished all of his summer homework and had rewritten his transfiguration and potions assignments. He had at first done so to distract himself from the stories floating around regarding his family and the men currently in the news, but as he worked on things, he found he was doing the assignments even for the books he had purchased in the bargain bin as well as reading his books for the upcoming school year.
He had been having a great week, Ron family had been freed and he had sent him a foe glass ball for his birthday, Neville and Hermione had written him back. Neville telling him about his newest plant and Hermione just telling him about her summer so far. She had sent along a homework assignment notebook and another one on Quidditch to him for his birthday.
Harry had written back a thank you and had told her about the extra books he had purchased at the bookstore. She had sounded excited about the century-old version of Hogwarts a History so he had agreed she could read it when he had finished.
Looking up as he finished his sandwiches and slice of birthday cake, he was not happy to see his potions professor and tried to think up an excuse as to why he was at the Leaky Cauldron again.
"Let me save you the effort, I know you have been staying here for the last week," Snape stated as he settled down in the chair across from him.
"Are you here to make me go back to my aunt's house?" He asked thinking that this had to be one of his worst birthdays ever.
"No, I figure if you are staying out of trouble, I don't have to report it to the Headmaster. After all, you are on your summer break and thankfully I am not responsible for your whereabouts." Snape replied.
Harry relaxed for a second but Snape quickly ruined that by picking up his Charms essay which was sticking out of his bookbag. The man unrolled it and read what he had written.
"Potter, this is much better, it is actually legible. Though, you confused the reduction charm with the removing charm." He stated then handed the scroll back. "What else do you have finished?"
"All of my homework." He defiantly stated, sure that his most hated professor wouldn't believe him.
"Is it here with you?" Snape asked holding out his hand.
Reluctantly, Harry handed it over and watched as Snape settled more comfortably into a chair across from him. A few minutes later, Snape rolled up his Astronomy assignment and said: "Tolerably well done."
When the professor didn't correct anything in his Herbology homework, nor Transfiguration, Harry felt like he had won a major victory but he winced when the man looked at his potions homework.
"Once again well done, however, I would suggest you pay more attention to the paragraphs regarding proper cutting techniques as that will be more important during the upcoming school year," Snape stated aloofly then reached in to pull out the book he had with him.
When Snape looked between the old muggle history textbook then at him, Harry reached for it only for the man to place it out of his reach. "Strange book for you to have."
"I bought it and some others from a bin at Flourish and Blotts, I figured I would have time on my hands this summer." He admitted.
"Don't spend the entire summer indoors, Potter," Snape said looking at the boy.
"I don't. I take a different book each morning to the park at the end of the Alley until lunch time." He answered. "It's relaxing."
Surprised the boy wasn't flying his broom, Snape just nodded and was planning to head for the exit when the WWW announced that Sirius Black had been seen in Diagon Alley. "Potter do you know who Black is?"
"He was somehow friends with my parents according to the newspaper and he was sent to falsely Azkaban in place of that Pettigrew guy, right?" Harry asked then the boy asked, "Where is Azkaban?"
"The Wizard prison is in the north, it's unplottable so I don't know exactly," Snape replied absentmindedly while still listening to the reporter but his focus grew sharper as they announced that they were trying to track down Harry Potter to ask his opinion on what was going on.
Looking at Potter, getting that it wouldn't be a good idea to be leaving such a tempting target for the press and all sundry wandering around on his own in Diagon Alley, he asked: "Do you have everything you need for the upcoming school year yet?"
"Yes except, my potions ingredients because I promised to wait for Hermione and I need to pick up some more polish for my broom polishing kit."
"Let's go get them. Ms. Granger and you can meet up later." Snape ordered. Watching from outside the store as Potter went to get his broom kit, Snape saw that the Alley was full of Aurors and even some trainees as it seemed like half of the magical world descended onto it.
Scoffing at their idiocy, knowing that Black was too smart to come strolling down the Alley, he was debating leaving Potter there for his safety but he also knew that the boy might make some foolish move in order to get the answers he wanted and he could just see an unscrupulous reporter or former Death Eater trying to use the boy for their own ends.
The boy exited the Quidditch Supplies store and Snape escorted him back to the Leaky Cauldron then flooed Minerva who suggested that he bring Harry to her cottage.
"Sir, why is everyone staring at me, I mean, more than they usually do?" Harry asked as they sat in the corner of the pub.
Looking at Potter, he said "They are probably wishing I wasn't with you so that they can accost you and ask your opinion on what is going on. They are also probably hoping you are making plans to meet with Sirius Black who all are curious about."
Harry tensed up and asked "Do you think that he is going to come looking for me? I mean, I still don't have any answers to all of my questions."
"I don't know but it is better to get you to the relative safety of a secure location." He stated. "I don't think you are in danger from Black but the press is another story."
"I would rather take my chances with some reporter, heck with that guy Pettigrew than go back to the Dursleys." Harry boldly replied.
"Thankfully that isn't where you are going, foolish boy," Snape stated. "Gather you things, I will be back in a few minutes."
Letting Tom know that Potter was leaving, Snape went to the herb shop and when he returned Harry was waiting with his trunk. "Let's go Potter."
Landing outside of the wards around McGonagall's cottage, Severus called out and Minerva answered. "Back garden, Severus."
Following the voice, Harry was surprised to see his Head of House wearing muggle pants as she worked in her garden. "Welcome, Harry and Happy Birthday. Sorry, this isn't under better circumstances."
"Thank you for inviting me." He said awkwardly. "So did you know these men?"
"I taught both Sirius and your father at Hogwart's. Professor Snape was a student at the same time." Minerva said.
"The Alley is fill of people including the press, Minerva," Snape informed his coworker when she sent Harry to take his trunk to the extra bedroom inside. "I have to make a quick visit to my house, then I am heading back to Hogwarts. Should I speak to the Headmaster if he has returned?"
"Don't mention Harry is here." She warned then wiping her hands, stood and said "I stopped over to his family's place. There was another muggle there. This woman was speaking about Harry's parents and Harry like they were dogs, no wonder the boy hates going home."
"Not a surprise, Petunia Evans always envied her sister and resented magic. I tried to warn the headmaster but he seemed to feel Potter's physical safety mattered more than his mental well-being."
Seeing her surprise, Severus sat down across from her on the stone bench and said "I haven't been myself for the last week or so. I keep saying the oddest things."
Smiling broadly, Minerva stated "Maybe you are finding that it is much easier to care about people and admit than before. Now before Potter returns, help me find a reason for me to stay here for the entire summer."
"As to that..." He signed sounding resigned, "I will come stay with Potter when you have to go back. It would be less suspicious though when he goes to meet up with the Granger girl, you must go. That young lady gives me a headache with all of her questions."
"To me, she reminds me of this other very eager and questioning student I once had, Severus. Maybe you recall him?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Playing obtuse, he said "Really, she reminds you of Lupin that much? Speaking of him has anyone spoken to him."
"I think that answer earns you a T for effort, Professor." She replied then watched him chuckling as he left. Entering her cottage, she went to check on Harry and saw his snowy white owl arriving. "She is absolutely beautiful Potter. I love watching her fly into the Great Room. You picked a beautiful familiar."
"Hagrid picked her for me. She was my first present ever." He softly replied while running his forefinger across the owl's brow.
"No, just the first you can recall," Minerva replied. Seeing him looking her way, she said: "I remember your first Christmas, you weren't even six months old yet and it was such a lovely time in spite of the war going on."
Harry found himself asking something he had always been curious about but had never had the nerve to ask. "I know my parent's loved me, but were they happy about having me? How did they meet each other, why did they fall in love?"
Sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to her, Minerva said "Your parents went to Hogwarts together but they didn't date until their seventh year. Your father had a lot of maturing to do."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
Thinking on the best way to express things, Minerva answered "Your dad was the only son born to parent's who had given up hope of having children so he was spoiled. Not your cousin spoiled but more like indulged and he came to Hogwarts well aware of his family's position in society and very self-assured."
"Like Malfoy?" He asked disgusted by that idea.
"Yes and no. Unlike Mr. Malfoy, your father didn't believe what blood flowed through your veins mattered but unfortunately he did tend to act like Draco when thwarted." Minerva felt Draco was a bit of an extreme comparison, but not by much.
"Your mom, on the other hand, tended to be like your friend Ms. Granger. Smart and beautiful but she also had a self-assurance your young friend lacks. There was this other student who your mom knew from primary school and your father and his friends liked to give him a hard time."
"Dad was a bully?" He asked hurt deeply by the idea.
"Yes and no, Harry." She said. "This other boy and a friend of your father's were like Mr. Malfoy and your friend Mr. Weasley. They hated each for things beyond their control and refused to see past the difference to see how alike they are."
"You think Draco and Ron are alike?" Harry asked diverted by that idea.
"Very much so. Draco feels superior to Ron because he has money, Ron hates being less affluent. Draco's father considers the Weasleys blood traitors and Draco recites that creed. Ron hears what his dad says about Lucius Malfoy and instead of getting to know Draco to find out if he is like his dad, automatically believes it to be true."
"But Draco is a Slytherin." Harry protested.
"Yes, he is. The thing is, that doesn't mean he is automatically a bad guy. I have heard Mr. Weasley say that only Slytherins followed he who must not be named, but that isn't true. There were members of all houses in his followers including Gryffindor."
"But Ron said-." Harry stopped talking as he realized that that was his professor's point. Ron was wrong.
"Your father, his friend, and this other boy are very alike but the difference is that your mother was friends with this other boy. She defended him then the fifth year there was a terrible incident similar to how your friend Mr. Weasley hurt Ms. Granger's feelings first year."
With a side long glance at Harry, she gave him a nod then stopped speaking for a second then said: "You might recall that night after all, wasn't that the real reason you went to rescue her from the troll?"
"How did you find that out?" He asked apprehensively.
"I didn't, Professor Snape did." She replied then asked "Harry did you ever tell Ms. Granger that it was your idea to rescue her? Or did you just give equal credit to Mr. Weasley?"
"I just said we." He admitted.
"Good, that will help with my next comparison. See, your mother was always standing up for this other boy, then one day, he found out and felt humiliated."
"Why?" He asked confused.
"Boys act strange sometimes. Just wait a few years and you will see what I mean. There will be some sort of argument with Hermione, one that will have you saying something you don't mean. The difference I think will be that you will have time and that you are in the same house to allow things to be mended. Plus, I think that you have a little surprise coming your way regarding your friendship with Ms. Granger as you mature. Your mother and her friend didn't have that."
Minerva continued "Your mom and her friend didn't have the time, the breach got bigger and bigger and eventually the next summer, he made an unforgivable mistake. One he couldn't take back. So they lost their friendship. Now, at the same time, your father began to grow up and realize that he had a part in pushing this other boy into a dark place but it was too late to fix things."
"However your dad got his act together and your parents began dating and she grew to tolerate then as the trouble maker friend matured, to grow close to and love your dad's friends but she always, always regretted losing the friendship of her first Hogwart's friend and I know that it still pains him that he lost your Mom's friendship." She said wiping a tear away.
"So Mom and dad loved each other a lot?" He asked.
"Very much so. When your Mom found out she was pregnant with you, they were so proud and frightened because of the war. Your first Christmas, your dad was insanely excited and so were all those around them."
"I wish I could remember that." He said quietly.
"You were the best baby, Harry. Happy and loved, you gave me of my all time funniest memories that holiday season." She said with a quick chuckle. "Your godfather was holding you and you got a hold of his wand. He decided that you should be allowed to play with it and no one thought too much about it until you turned most of the guests into other objects or animals and you turned the headmaster into a Christmas tree."
"Really?" Harry laughed.
She answered. "By the time your mom had gotten the wand away from you, you had a room full of bunnies, kittens, and puppies. It took the accidental spells department at St. Mungo's to figure out what you had done."
"Bet my mom was angry."
"Yes, your godfather was threatened by her to have his wand broken if he ever gave it to you again. Then you opened his present and he had given you a toy broom. Your mom was furious that he had given a six-month-old a broom. But later on, she opened a present from her old friend for you. It was a series of magical children's books, she cried that night and your father vowed to fix their friendship. He never got a chance."
"Because Voldemort killed him?" Harry asked quietly.
"And they had to go into hiding, but yes, because of Voldemort." She said surprised to find herself saying the name out loud. "So Severus tells me you have your homework assignments done already, would you like me to look it over?"
With a smirk, Harry said "I think it will be fine, Professor Snape said that it was tolerably well done. So in Professor Snape speak that means I am close to perfect."
"Too true, too true." She ruefully agreed then looking at the clock asked: "So what do you say to fish and chips for dinner?"
TBC. Maybe?