Child of the Dark Moon

by Sw-0608

Fleeing from Dudley and the 'Harry-hunters' under a full moon, Harry Potter saves his hated cousin from a giant wolf and is nearly killed. Severus Snape comes upon the bloody body not ten minutes later and takes the child into his home, against his better judgment. Can Snape come to terms with the vulnerable boy and help him to adapt to being a werewolf? (Manipulative Dumbledore)

15. Chapter 15: Petunia's Revenge

Rated T: Coming up in future chapters, (and a little in this chapter too) some heartbreaking descriptions of child abuse. You have been warned.

(Disclaimer: don't own, never will, don't plan to. Just doing it for fun.)

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Chapter 15: Petunia's Revenge

The morning sun was beaming warmly over Hogwarts, and the school was peaceful now that the summer holidays had begun. The large pond was like a mirror in the still air, only disturbed by a few ripples caused by the Giant Squid lazing about under the water. Severus Snape had brought Harry for his check-up with Madam Pomfrey, and she declared his wounds healed enough for him to try and get some exercise in the fresh air and warm sunshine. So Severus grabbed some of the reading materials from the Magical Creatures department and took Harry out to the pond's edge to play for an hour or so until lunch time. While he sat under a tree and read his book, the boy was splashing about at the edge of the pond, excitedly calling out about pebbles and plants he found. Severus was distracted and couldn't concentrate on either his book on Werewolf psychology or the happily chattering boy playing a few yards away. Harry seemed to notice, and he turned down his enthusiasm after about ten minutes of uninterested responses from his babysitter.

Severus did not like feeling at a loss. He disliked not feeling in control. But ever since he had decided to investigate the little bundle in the street that fateful night, his life had completely turned around. At times like this, he wasn't sure whether he wanted this new normal or not. Harry was a good boy; polite, obedient, and perceptive. He was sensitive and curious, but had an impressive amount of self-control for a child who wasn't even nine yet. In any other case, Severus supposed he would have been grateful that Dumbledore was looking for someone else to babysit, and probably would have nitpicked mercilessly at the child's faults (if he could find any) in the meantime. But there was something about Harry that magnetically drew him closer, and he balked at the strange feeling. When Harry was upset, he actually wanted to comfort him. When the boy smiled, Severus felt like smiling back. He had not stopped to think and analyze his own bizarre behaviour concerning this child, and when he did, he was even more confused. He shouldn't feel like his heart was being torn out at the thought of entrusting Harry to another pair of hands. He shouldn't feel this inexplicable urge to grab hold of the child and never let him go.

But he did.

And Severus Snape hated not being able to understand it.

He needed to let the boy go; he knew that. Remus Lupin would be able to get out of the hospital soon, and either the Longbottoms or Weasleys would take Harry in, since Werewolves weren't allowed to be guardians. Lupin would guide the child through being a Werewolf, and the boy's new family would provide him with the love and stability he needed to grow up healthy and happy and confident … and Severus would have to let the boy go, not only physically, but emotionally as well. He hated how much that thought hurt. He had no right to want Harry so badly. He had already proven what a dreadful guardian he would be for the boy. Harry would end up getting hurt; and what could a bitter, lonely bachelor offer a child, anyway?

After awhile of confused, gloomy brooding, Severus dragged his gaze up from a page he had just re-read for the third time without absorbing any of the information to see that Harry was sitting just a few feet away, chin in hands, staring at him intensely with Lily's eyes. How long he'd been sitting there, calmly studying him, Severus had no idea, and it made his skin crawl uncomfortably.

Severus scowled at the boy, not meaning to get so annoyed, but seemingly unable to help it. "What do you want?" he demanded. "I brought you out here so you could play, so go play!"

Harry flinched at the man's exasperated tone, but he didn't back down. "I'm tired now," the boy said softly, his green eyes calm and cautious.

"So you just decided to sit there and stare at me?" Severus grumbled in an attempt to lower his voice. It was creepy to know that somebody, (even if that somebody was a shrimp of a boy not even nine years old) was staring at him while he was absorbed in his own thoughts and his book. He hoped he hadn't been sucking his bottom lip again, which he often did when he was stressing out about something in his mind.

"What happened there, Professor?" the child asked instead of replying. He sat up straighter and pointed at him.

"What are you talking about?" Severus snarled half-heartedly. He already felt bad for using his normal tone on the boy when he was distracted by other things, when he had promised himself that he would work on being more civil and patient.

"There!" Harry insisted. He reached up to his own face and used his index finger to trace a little line from the middle of his chin up toward his cheek. "What happened?"

Professor Snape froze. He had not thought about that particular scar on his face in quite some time. In fact, nobody could really see it unless they were very close to him, and he never allowed even Dumbledore to come that close. Severus himself could barely see it in the mirror. The boy must have sharp eyes, but not even Lily with her own excellent eyesight had ever noticed glared at the child, not really knowing what to say, as the story behind that scar was not one he ever wanted to tell, and certainly not to a little child.

"I fell when I was younger," he snapped, as that was the best generic answer he could come up with on short notice. "Now how about that scar on your arm?" he threw back, nodding at the pale burn scar on Harry's exposed left arm. Earlier, the boy had rolled up his sleeves to stay cool in the warm weather, and as the boy's surprised green eyes traveled down to look at it, he was satisfied when Harry's face grew painfully red. "If you don't like being interrogated about your epidermal imperfections, I suggest you keep such questions to yourself," Severus added, feeling satisfied that he had put an end to the boy's nagging.

"My uncle didn't like me saying m-mag … m-magic," Harry whispered, his whole body trembling. He looked up at Severus pleadingly. "But … but you said you're magic … so … you don't mind me saying it, do you?"

"No, of course not," Professor Snape sighed. He shut his book, (fat lot of good it was doing his brain anyway) and scooted closer to the fidgeting child who was now picking at the grass in agitation. Severus cursed himself for his insensitivity and decided to try and get the boy to talk about it, whatever it was that was bothering him. "But what does magic have to do with the scar? It looks like you burned yourself."

Harry shook his head mutely. After a few seconds he whispered. "I didn't burn myself."

Severus shook his head slowly, denying what his own eyes and ears were screaming at him. But he was too smart to fool himself for long. That beefy troll of a man had actually burned a child on purpose to punish him?! It didn't bear thinking about, and he clenched his fists furiously. He wished he had been a bit more thorough with the entire Dursley family instead of just leaving them with headaches and vague nightmares. He ought to have punished them better than that.

"What did he burn you with?" the Professor asked quietly. He knew better than to directly mention the child's evil uncle when he was already trembling so hard.

"Poker," Harry whispered faintly.

"When did it happen?" Snape demanded, feeling more furious by the second. "Was it recent?"

Harry looked up, his nose crinkling up as it did when he thought. "Last year, I guess," he answered softly. "Close to my birthday, anyway."

Severus gently reached out and took Harry's hand. The boy flinched, but he didn't pull away. Stilling the rage and indignation warring for attention inside him, the Professor gently examined the shiny, faded scar he had first noticed when he put Harry in the cool bath for the third time. There were a few, even more faded, next to it which he had never noticed before. There were about five in all, straight lines marking his thin arm like the tick marks on a ruler. The Professor then reached out and took hold of Harry's other arm to compare. Harry didn't fight him, though the child's green eyes were fixed on his face worriedly. Sure enough, there were four more burn scars on that arm as well, all more faded than the first one he had seen. It made him sick to think of any human being doing that to a child. It was more like a Death Eater party trick than something a family member should be doing.

"I'm sorry," was all Severus could think of to say at the moment. He dropped Harry's arms and the boy rubbed them self-consciously before tugging his sleeves back down.

"S'not your fault," the boy murmured, looking at him curiously. "They don't hurt anymore, and they're going away."

"Soon they will fade completely," Severus agreed in a quiet voice. He sighed and ran his hands through his greasy hair. "I suppose … I owe you an answer to your earlier question, don't I?"

"No sir, that's alright, I shouldn't have asked," Harry said quickly. He went back to picking the grass and avoided looking at the Professor. "I'm sorry I forgot that I'm not s'pposed to be asking lots of stupid questions."

"What have I told you about apologizing so much?" the Professor sighed heavily. "I was rude to answer you the way I did."

"It's okay, I don't mind, sir," Harry murmured, trying to braid three long grass blades together.

"Well, I mind," Severus snapped. "I told you I am not good with children, and this is why. I lose my temper far too quickly, I am easily irritated, and I talk sharply at the least provocation."

Harry shrugged and peeked shyly up at the Professor. "You're nice most of the time," he said quietly. Snape looked at him incredulously. Him? Nice?! But Harry's eyes were nothing but sincere. "I'm annoying, sir," the boy said calmly. "I don't mind if you tell me to shut up."

"Stop that," the Professor growled. "You lived with those sorry excuses for human beings for so long that their warped thinking has infiltrated your mind. One day you will learn that …" he coughed uncomfortably. "One day you will learn that you are an important human being too."

"I am?" Harry asked doubtfully. "I mean, I will?" The boy carefully leaned back and propped himself on his elbows in the grass so he could see Severus better.

Professor Snape couldn't help but smirk at the child's innocence. "You will, silly child. You are a very good boy. In fact," he added impulsively, "I can think of no other child I would rather babysit in all the world."

When Harry's face lit up and his eyes sparkled with wonder and amazement, Severus' heart clenched painfully at the thought of all the affirmation and love this child would need to overcome the lies of his diabolical relatives.

"I cannot tell you the story behind the scar on my chin," Severus said quietly, changing the subject and attempting to make up for his nasty tone earlier. "Not yet anyway," he added. "It is … not a nice story, and not one I want to tell to someone as young as you, alright?"

"It's okay, Professor," Harry smiled shyly. "I didn't really care … I just … wanted to say something 'cause I was tired of thinking."

"Tired of thinking?" The Professor felt a smile tugging on his lips. "What were you thinking about?"

Harry squirmed uncomfortably and shrugged. "Thinking hurts sometimes," he said in a soft, serious voice, looking at the tree they sat under, not at the Professor's face.

Severus nodded, feeling that to press the boy for answers would be pushing it a little too far today. "I was thinking too; and I suppose that was why I got snappish," he replied honestly. "I am worried about a great many things right now."

Harry nodded seriously, turning his solemn gaze on the Professor with wisdom beyond his years. "It's funny how worrying about stuff actually makes them worse. But we can't help it, can we?"

Severus Snape actually smiled at the wise words. "I never quite thought of it like that," he said thoughtfully. "But you are right …"The Professor glanced up at some invisible prompt that told him he was being watched and he noticed the bright yellow and black robes of the Headmaster coming rapidly toward them from the castle. The old man looked like a wizened bumblebee, especially with his hat which looked more like a beehive rather than the conical hat of a respectable wizard.

Harry noticed his attention shift and twisted around to see what the man was looking at. In a second, the boy sat upright and straightened his clothes nervously. He pulled his shirt down where it had ridden up, exposing a slice of his claw-marked stomach, and rolled down the legs of his pants since he had tucked them up to wade in the pond. Severus got easily to his feet and helped the flustered child to stand up. Harry looked around frantically for his shoes and bounded over to grab them from the rock by the pond as the bumblebee Headmaster reached their little stretch of grass.

"Severus!" Dumbledore greeted cheerily. "I'm glad to see you and Harry making the most of this beautiful summer's day!"

"You are altogether too cheerful for this time of day, Albus," Severus grumbled, as was his wont. Secretly, he was too nervous to feel particularly grumpy at the sight of the grinning old coot. Had Dumbledore heard from Augusta Longbottom? Or was Remus Lupin out of St. Mungo's yet?

"You are such a ray of sunshine, my boy," Dumbledore chuckled. "You think I'm always too cheerful no matter what time of day it is."

"What can I say?" Severus smirked, folding his arms. "I'm nothing but a dungeon bat."

"Nonsense," the old man laughed. "One day you will see what a wonderful young man you are. You know, Severus, you deserve to be happy too."

"Oh shut up," Professor Snape growled without much heat. "Now what did you interrupt my 'perfect summer day' for?"

"I need to have a quick word with you think perhaps we could get Hagrid to watch Harry for a bit?"

Severus glanced over at the silent boy lacing up his trainers. Harry's head was bowed, but Severus could tell by the stiffness of his skinny shoulders that he was listening, and probably not happy with the thought of being shuffled off on a stranger.

"Probably not," Severus answered, turning back to the Headmaster. "He is still wary of strangers, and Hagrid can be a bit … much."

"Ah, true," Albus nodded sagely. "Well, in that case, I should cast a privacy charm then."

"It's that serious?" Professor Snape scowled.

"It is … simply something I'd prefer Harry not hear," the old man replied delicately. "It really has nothing to do with him anyway."

Severus sighed and turned to the child waiting silently a few feet away. "I need to talk to the Headmaster privately for a bit, Harry. You can play or walk around, but stay in our sight, alright?"

"Yes sir," the boy replied promptly. He had finished tying his shoes, but made no move to rise from his flat rock.

Severus led Dumbledore a few yards away to a bench under a nearby willow tree so the old man wouldn't be forced to sit in the grass or stand around while they talked.

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Harry watched the two men head off to the nice marble bench under the weeping willow tree not very far away. It was on a little hill, so they would be able to see him if he wandered about a little. Feeling emboldened, Harry stood up and decided to walk around the pond as far as he could go without losing sight of the Professor or his weird boss. Shoving his hands into his jean pockets, Harry set off at a slow walk. His muscles had been hurting just a little ever since his check-up, but he didn't say anything because he didn't want her or the Professor to make a fuss over him. The nurse had said that exercise should help with his stiffness after all.

Harry stopped to pick up a smooth white stone out of the mud at the very edge of the water. After he cleaned it off, he held it in his hands and stared at it. The surface was incredibly smooth and white, shaped like a squished egg, without any marks or scratches or imperfections. Harry looked up and watched the Professor and the bearded Headmaster for a few minutes. They were busy talking and didn't seem to be watching him at all. Impulsively, Harry stuck the rock in his pocket and started jogging away from the pond. He didn't really know or care where he was going, but it felt incredibly nice to be able to run free in the warm sunshine through perfect green grass. When he stopped, panting and sweaty, he hadn't made it very far, but he was too tired to keep running. Harry breathlessly flopped down in the grass and gazed down from his tiny hill at the pond, glittering in the sunlight. He could see shadows moving under the clear water where it was dark and deep, and he wondered if there were big fish in the pond. A little further away, he could see the willow tree and the bench where the Professor and Headmaster still sat. It was easy to spot the black and yellow bee costume that the weird old man was wearing today, but the Professor always wore black, so he sort of disappeared in the shadows under the tree.

Harry looked up as his sharp hearing caught the sound of something big, on four legs, with heavy, wet breathing quickly coming nearer. Harry stood up to look around, feeling mildly alarmed, and saw something huge and brown running straight for was a giant dog with a big head and wide open mouth. Harry screamed in terror and scrambled to his feet. As he broke into a run, Harry knew he could never outrun the knew it was the Werewolf, and it was coming to finish the job.

"Professor!" Harry shrieked desperately as the beast jumped on him, pinning his winded body down in the grass and opening a huge, hot, dripping mouth right over his right ear. Harry shut his eyes and screamed.

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"As I say, it isn't necessary, but I'm certain that she would appreciate your support during this difficult time," Albus said gently.

Severus sighed and tapped his fingers on his knees. For the last ten minutes, the Headmaster had filled him in on one of his Slytherins, a girl named Kimberly Grayson, who had just lost her mother in a train accident. The girl was a half-blood, and her father was a wizard. The girl had to be devastated, as she and her mother were very close. Her strict father was prone to emotional outbursts and according to Albus, had taken to drink to drown his grief. Severus shivered to think that the man might take out his anger and frustration on the thirteen year old girl, just as his own father used to do to him. He would certainly write to her, and he would try to arrange a visit. Maybe he could drop off a supply of calming draughts for Mr. Grayson, as an alternative to alcohol. Calming draughts worked to stave off the worst effects of grief, but of course, any potion could become addictive. He would have to give it some thought and ask Kimberly if she had any concerns or ideas. She was a bright and sensible girl, and was actually one of his favorites. He wasn't sure if she had ever mentioned her father becoming violent, but one never knew how grief could affect some people.

"Thank you for telling me," Severus said quietly. "I'll write to her and see if I can do anything."

"You've always been so good to your Slytherins," Dumbledore said gently, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. "Between you and me, I truly think you are the best Head of House we have at Hogwarts."

"Only because I can understand what most of these children are going through," Severus grumbled. "Only the broken can understand the breaking."

"Wise words, my boy," Albus beamed. "I may have to find some way to repeat them and pass them off as my own."

Severus smirked suddenly, gratefully taking the bait to lighten the mood. "I knew it; all of your so-called wisdom is got from fortune cookies and unsuspecting wise people, isn't it?"

"Alas, my secret is out," Dumbledore sighed dramatically and stood up. "I'll have to go hide my copy of Wise Reflections for Every Day of the Year before you uncover that secret too."

Severus opened his mouth for a clever reply when they were both startled by a scream. With a swift movement, Severus canceled the privacy charm around the two of them and bolted to his feet. "Harry?" he cried, looking around frantically for the boy. Hadn't he told Harry to stay in his sight?

"There, Severus!" Albus cried, drawing and pointing his wand.

Another scream sliced the air and Severus immediately spotted the boy, almost across the pond, and he took off running. Harry was pinned down in the grass by Fang, Hagrid's giant, slobbery boarhound, but the hysterical child was probably having a flashback to the horrible night of the Werewolf attack. As Severus ran, he saw the half-giant groundskeeper, Hagrid, who was running to the scene as well and would reach the hysteric boy first. Poor Harry was being slobbered to death by the giant dog, and judging by his frantic movements and terrified screams, didn't realize that Fang was just excited and wasn't trying to eat him.

Hagrid hauled his dog off the boy, shouting for Fang to get down and to leave it. Harry scrambled to his feet, stumbling a few times before he managed to start running. After just a few stumbling steps, Severus caught him by the shoulders and the boy collapsed in his arms, sobbing desperately and gasping out incoherent sentences as he clutched Snape by the shirt for dear life.

"It's alright, Harry, you're alright;" Severus tried to soothe the hysterical child. He gently helped Harry sit down in the grass and held him close. "I have you; you're safe. Nothing's going to hurt you," he murmured in the boy's ear.

"I'm real sorry," Hagrid gasped, out of breath from running all the way from his garden and with wrestling his excited dog. "Don' know wha' got into Fang, 'ere. Down, boy!"

Harry was calming down, but his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. "W-wolf," the boy whimpered in a trembling voice. "Wolf, wolf," he repeated as if in shock, which he likely was.

"It's not a wolf, Harry, I promise you;" Severus explained in a gentle voice. "It's only a giant boarhound. His name is Fang and he is overly friendly. Fang won't hurt you. I won't let anything happen to you, Harry." To be honest, Severus' heart was still pounding almost as hard as the child's. That scream had been so horrible, and all of his most terrible nightmares seemed to have lunged into his head at once, inserting Harry into all of his worst imaginary scenarios.

"I w-was s-scared," Harry sobbed, burrowing further into Snape's arms, getting his tears and snot all over the nice black shirt. "I c-called you a-and you d-didn't c-come."

"I'm here now; you're safe," Severus whispered, rubbing the child's back soothingly. He took a few deep breaths of his own to calm his racing heart. He was glad nothing truly life-threatening had happened, but he knew that Harry's scream would find some way into his nightmares tonight. It had been so different from his screams of pain the first nights he was in Snape's house.

"Fang di'n't 'urt 'im, did 'ee?" Hagrid suddenly blurted out, sounding scared. He'd finally gotten his dog to lie down calmly and had a leash on the beast's collar.

"I don't think the child is hurt, Hagrid," Dumbledore's voice came from right over Severus' shoulder. "Severus? Is Harry alright?"

Snape pulled away from the boy just a bit so he could run his hands over him and make sure he was okay. Harry was still trembling, his hair was damp and he still had slobber all over one cheek which plastered some of his hair to his face. His green eyes were frantic with barely concealed panic, and his chin was quivering pathetically. But aside from smelling like a dog's mouth, and having muddy paw prints on his shirt and grass stains on his hands and knees, he seemed fine.

"Are you hurt anywhere, Harry?" Severus asked gently.

Harry took a deep, shuddering breath and some of his panic seemed to gingerly felt himself and seemed surprised that he wasn't bleeding to death. "I d-don't think so," he whispered shakily. "It j-jumped on m-me, and I th-thought …"

"Aye, Fang's a bit too friendly sometimes," Hagrid said apologetically. He smiled in a friendly fashion at the boy, who jerked at the sight of him and clutched Severus again. "Where'd yeh come from anyways?" Hagrid asked gently. "Never seen yeh here afore. Too tiny fer school yet, eh?"

"Severus is taking care of him for awhile," Dumbledore answered for his Professor, to Snape's relief. He didn't want to overwhelm Harry all over again with an 'attacking' giant this time.

"Speaking of, we had best be going," Severus said briskly. He stood up and scooped the boy up into his arms.

"Wai' a min …" Hagrid gasped, letting go of Fang's leash in his astonishment. The dog nearly lunged back at Harry, but the half-giant tackled the dog around the neck. "In't tha' lil' Harry? Harry Potter?!"

Harry whimpered and hid his face in Snape's shoulder, shivering all over. Severus threw Dumbledore a desperate glance before he took off at a brisk walk toward the castle, leaving the Headmaster to talk to the half-giant.

He took Harry straight to the hospital wing, even though he could probably just diagnose and treat Harry's panic himself at home. He knew everyone would be happier if he let Madam Pomfrey check him quickly before they both went home.

"I wanna go home," Harry whispered softly against his shoulder, shifting just a bit.

"We will," Severus answered firmly. "But I want Poppy to look you over before we go. That dog might have bruised you."

Harry nodded and relaxed again as he wrapped his arms just a little more tightly around the made it to the Infirmary without incident and Madam Pomfrey came hurrying out of her office, looking concerned.

"Severus?"

"Fang knocked Harry down," Professor Snape replied, setting Harry down on one of the beds. The boy was still trembling, and he seemed to tense up when the Professor took his arms from around him.

"Oh dearie me," Madam Pomfrey sighed, drawing her wand. "That giant needs to keep his dog under control."

Harry trembled harder and shut his eyes, looking sick.

"Are you going to be sick, dear?" Poppy asked in concern.

Harry nodded miserably, still not opening his eyes. His face suddenly went even paler and Severus summoned a wastebasket just before the boy emptied his stomach. He seemed exhausted after he finished vomiting, and Madam Pomfrey dosed him with a calming draught and a stomach soother. Harry almost seemed asleep after he drank them both, and he sank over onto his side, eyes shutting drowsily.

"He's had a major shock," Poppy told Severus softly. "Keep him warm and calm, feed him light foods for supper, but I wouldn't recommend anything but water and tea until then. Don't let him run around until tomorrow at least, not that he'll be likely to want to."

Professor Snape nodded sharply. "Did the dog bruise him?"

"Surprisingly, no;" The medi-witch shook her head and put her wand away. "He's either quite resilient or Fang was being gentle."

"Likely both," Severus snorted. "He was frightened of the dog because of … you know."

"Of course," Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Over time, he may get over it. But I once met a Werewolf who has a phobia of canine animals for the same reason, so he might not."

Severus shook his head silently, cursing himself for leaving Harry alone and not protecting him Pomfrey gave him the all-clear and he gently picked up the boy off the bed. Harry sighed and opened his eyes before snuggling down into the Professor's arms. He looked sleepy, but he wasn't panicking anymore. Gazing down at the calm child in his arms, absolutely at rest and trusting him unconditionally, Severus felt his heart squeezing painfully. How would he ever bear to give this child up? How would Harry ever bear it?

"What did I do to deserve this?" he asked softly of nobody in particular.

"It will get better, Severus," the Infirmary nurse said comfortingly, misunderstanding his comment. "Give it time."

Severus Snape didn't bother to correct her, but he gave her a rare little smile before he turned and flooed away to Spinner's End.

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The afternoon was thankfully quiet. While Harry slept peacefully, Severus graded tests and rewrote his letter to Lupin to take out the meeting time and notes to ask Albus about a good time to get together. He set it aside to have Dumbledore deliver it when he visited the recovering Werewolf tomorrow morning, since St. Mungo's didn't usually take owls. When Harry woke, he was calm and seemed almost back to his old self, but not as talkative. To keep Harry in bed, Severus made tea and brought up the chess set. While they had tea and played Wizard's chess, they discussed weird potions ingredients and the dubious advice that the pieces shouted at them. From the very first moment Severus had brought out his old set a few nights ago, Harry had absolutely loved the moving, talking of all, the little boy adored the smashing and shattering when any pieces got caught. Severus was nearly certain that Harry put his pieces in danger just to watch them get destroyed, but they both had fun.

Supper was quiet, but comfortable. Severus made chicken with rice and cut up some apples. They read in the sitting room, munching apple slices, Harry curled up against his side on the sofa. He was certain that the boy wasn't paying attention to the Charms book he gave him to read, and the boy was likely reading about Werewolf psychology over the Professor's arm. But the child didn't ask any questions or make any comments, and eventually fell asleep where he sat, leaning comfortably against Severus's arm. Snape only waited a half-hour before he picked Harry up and carried him to bed. The boy mumbled incoherently as he was magically changed into his pajamas, but he rolled over and went right back to sleep when the Professor tucked him in.

Severus hesitated a second, but he gave into the instinct and ruffled the boy's hair, smiling softly when Harry leaned into the touch and made a soft, contented noise.

"Good night, Harry," he whispered.

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Harry sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast in his pajamas, swinging his bare feet comfortably. The Professor was reading the morning newspaper and he didn't look happy about whatever he was reading, so Harry didn't say anything, fearing to upset him when things were so nice between them right now.

His porridge was good, since the Professor let him put honey and cream on it, and there was a plate of strawberries for him if he finished his bowl. Harry was almost done, and he hoped the Professor would let him put honey and cream on his strawberries too. Yesterday had been a sort of bad day, but overall, it was still one of the best days of his life, especially when the Professor spent the whole afternoon with him in bed, playing magic chess and giving him tea and talking about weird things he put in potions. Being able to actually play around outside yesterday had been the best sort of treat. Instead of doing yardwork or being afraid that Dudley and his hunters would chase him, he had been able to sit in the grass and look at rocks and run in the sunshine. But the big dog jumping on him had been like the worst sort of nightmare. Even though the Professor said the dog was friendly, Harry hoped he never saw it again. In fact, he could do without seeing another dog for the rest of his life. As if Ripper, Aunt Marge's nasty bulldog, hadn't been enough, he now had a Werewolf attack and an overly friendly boarhound encounter to justify his wariness of dogs. He didn't really want to call his feeling a 'fear' of dogs; it made him sound like an idiot. What kind of a boy was just scared of dogs?

Harry absently scraped at the bottom of his bowl and realized that he had finished his porridge while he had been lost in thought. Hopefully, he looked up at the Professor, but the man was muttering under his breath as he flipped pages in his newspaper. Harry's attention was grabbed by the black and white picture on the front of one of the pages. It was moving. There was a man yelling something while two other guys were dragging him backwards and the big black headline read: Sirius Black Escaped From Azkaban! Fascinated, Harry stared at the moving picture. The little scene repeated, going through the motions again and again, without making a sound. Magic pictures were just awesome. Harry wondered what magical comics looked like. The thought made him grin.

The Professor chose that minute to grumble and fold up the paper with agitated motions. He caught sight of Harry's goofy smile and arched an eyebrow. "I assume you've finished?" he asked drily.

Harry bobbed his head eagerly. "Yes sir," he answered cheerfully, showing the Professor his bowl. "Can I have strawberries and cream now please?"

The Professor smirked. "You may," he answered, but quickly snatched away the honey pot. "However, the berries are sweet enough without you drowning them in more sugar."

Harry shrugged happily and eagerly pulled the plate of strawberries closer. The Professor poured just a little bit of cream over them before he got up and put the pitcher away. While Harry ate, happily smooshing his strawberries with his fork and turning the cream pink, the Professor moved around the kitchen, cleaning up. He magically washed the dishes, having them clean and dry in less than a minute, and put the honey away up high in the pantry. Once he was done wiping the counters, Harry was finished and his mouth was stained red and pink. The Professor took one look at him and rolled his eyes in horror.

"Go wash your face, you little heathen," he scolded. "What did you do, lick the plate?"

"Yep," Harry answered with a red-stained grin.

The Professor shook his head and smirked suddenly. "Rinse your mouth too; you look like a vampire after dinner."

Harry snorted at the analogy and ran off to the bathroom to wash up. He came back in record time with a damp, but clean face and no more red stains on his teeth. He found the Professor in the sitting room putting on his cloak. He seemed distracted and upset about something if the frown on his face was any indication. Harry's smile disappeared and he retreated into wary mode. He had hoped being cheerful and obedient would put the Professor in a better mood after whatever had made him mad in the paper, but it looked like the man was leaving.

"Do I need to get ready too?" Harry asked hopefully. He felt for the white stone in his pocket which he hadn't meant to take from the school. If they were going back, he could put the rock back where it belonged.

"No, I'll be back soon," the Professor answered shortly. "I need to talk to the Headmaster, but it shouldn't take long. You will stay here and amuse yourself until I return. I trust you won't get into mischief?"

"No sir," Harry answered solemnly. "Is it …? Um, is it okay if I sweep the kitchen, sir? I saw you didn't have time to do that."

"Fine, but don't overdo it," the Professor replied shortly, checking to make sure his stick, (his wand) was safely tucked up his sleeve. "If you start feeling tired or achy, go right upstairs to bed, agreed?"

"Yes sir!" Harry grinned, saluting cheekily and holding his breath lest the Professor take it wrong.

To Harry's relief, the professor's mouth twitched with real amusement and the dark shadow in his eyes lessened just a bit. "I'll be back soon." He turned abruptly and grabbed a handful of the weird powder from the mantelpiece before he tossed into the fire. Harry swallowed hard and backed away from the green flames. The Professor shouted, "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts! Snickers!" and with a whoosh, he whirled away and the flames went back to normal.

Harry sighed and looked around the empty sitting room. The small clock on the mantel ticked quietly and the fire crackled cozily. He was all alone. Shaking his head, Harry went to find a broom and maybe a mop. He could see that the Professor probably hadn't really cleaned in ages. He likely just used his magic stick to clean stuff up. With determined strides, Harry headed to the laundry room as his first place to look for cleaning supplies. He was going to prove that he was dead useful to have around, just to give the Professor a good reason to keep him, of course.

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"Severus!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed as soon as his Potions Professor stepped out of the floo. "I must say, I was just thinking of calling on you. How is Harry?"

"Harry is fine," Severus snapped tersely, cleaning himself off with a wave of his wand. "What are we going to do about Black's escape?"

"Ah," the old man sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I see that you already read the paper."

"Of course I did!" Professor Snape threw up his hands in exasperation. "You know I get the Daily Prophet every morning! How could I not read the headline when it was as big as my head?"

"You know, Lupin was jailed on suspicion that he was involved in Black's breakout," Dumbledore interrupted in a serious tone.

Severus sat down across from the Headmaster and glared. "Lupin?" he repeated. "You've been to see him, then?"

"This morning," the old man replied.

"I had a letter for him," the Potions Master grumbled. He pulled the envelope from his cloak and tossed it on the desk. "But you're sure he had nothing to do with Black?"

"He allowed me to Legilimize him," Dumbledore said gravely, folding his hands in front of his face. "He had a brief interaction with Black approximately a week ago, but apart from giving him a piece of chocolate and the Daily Prophet crosswords out of pure compassion, Lupin didn't do anything."

"You're certain?"

"Positive; Lupin is no Occlumens, not even close." The Headmaster paused and stroked his beard pensively. "I am afraid that the paper Lupin gave Black was the edition announcing how Harry had gone missing. The rest of the paper was found in the cell, with the front picture torn out. He must have taken it with him."

"So Black wants to finish the job, does he?" Severus growled. "Of course! Hearing how the boy was finally outside the blood wards, he decided to escape and find the boy first? Or did he perhaps assume that other Death Eaters had kidnapped Harry?"

"We do not know," Dumbledore answered softly. "It all happened too quickly. He escaped that very evening, rendering two of the prison's house elves unconscious as he went."

"At least he didn't just kill them in cold blood," Professor Snape muttered. "So what are we going to do to protect Harry? There is no way Black would suspect me of all people to have taken the boy in, so Spinner's End ought to be safe, correct?"

"True, but Bones informed me that Black has managed to override and cancel Azkaban's prisoner tracing charms already." The Headmaster tapped his fingers together worriedly. "Remember that Black also used to be an auror, and is still Harry's legal and binding godfather. There are any number of tracking spells he could employ to find the boy, and that is not to mention the dark spells that he no doubt knows as a Death Eater. There is only one place where Harry would be safe from all that."

Severus Snape frowned. "We could increase and update the wards around my home," he suggested. "Do you forget that I was a Death Eater as well? I practically invented many of the dark tracking spells that the Dark Lord favoured, but I also invented defenses for them. I never created a curse without a counter curse, you know that."

"You misunderstand me, Severus," the old man said gently, almost condescendingly.

"I suppose we can move back to Hogwarts for a bit," Severus went on, feeling an unpleasant mixture of worry and fear coiling in his gut. "There isn't much to keep a child occupied in my quarters, though … besides my abstract parseltongue paintings."

"Hogwarts is not totally safe," Dumbledore objected firmly. "Black knows most of the secret passages and it would not be difficult for him to sneak in if he was determined to do so."

Severus shook his head in disgust. "Can't you strengthen the wards? Make them so they repel Black, or at least alert you if he gets in?"

"Of course we can, and we will; but the wards of Hogwarts are a bit more complicated than that. I'm afraid it isn't so simple as 'repelling Black' or even alerting me to it. If I had alarms go off every time some specific dark magic, say the Dark Mark, crossed the threshold, it would go off every time you stepped foot in the school, my dear boy."

Snape scowled and crossed his arms. "Then what do you suggest?" he demanded impatiently. "Where is this 'one place' where Harry will be safe?"

"His home," the Headmaster said quietly. "The blood wards are connected with his mother's blood; hence, his mother's family is where he must be."

Severus gaped at the old man in disbelief for several seconds before he jumped to his feet. "What can you possibly be thinking?!" he hissed, his blood boiling with rage and a horror he had not felt in years. "Do you have any idea what you are suggesting?!"

"I am afraid that number 4, Privet Drive is the only place where Harry will be safe from Black," Dumbledore replied serenely.

"Safe from him, perhaps!" Severus exploded. "But what about his abominable relatives? Albus, his own uncle tortured him with a fire poker because he said the word 'magic'! You cannot be thinking of sending the child back there!"

"I will have a serious talk with his family, of course," the Headmaster said firmly. "They must understand how wrong they were, and they will be ordered to treat Harry with more kindness in future. Sometimes, fear of the unknown makes people act irrationally. Once they understand that Harry is not a threat, they will no longer be afraid of him and they will no longer hurt him."

"Oh, you think it's that simple, do you?" the Potions Professor sneered. "My god, Albus, you are naïve. Anyone who can abuse an innocent child in any capacity is not going to listen to a little pep talk about how we should be nice to children. Surely even you aren't that stupid."

"Surely you don't believe the worst of all people, Severus," the old man said sadly. "I spoke with Petunia after you told us of the abuse Harry has suffered, and I can assure you that I know more than you at this point. Poor Mrs. Dursley was attempting to teach Harry how to control his magic, nothing more. I explained to her that it wouldn't really work that way, and her remorse was palpable. I know you've become attached to the boy, Severus, but letting him go back to his relatives is the safest thing for him right now."

Severus stared at the Headmaster in disbelief. "No," he said quietly, shocked at his own audacity. He had never defied Albus Dumbledore to this extent before. Keeping Harry a secret had been as far as he had been able to go before. "No, I will never allow you to put that boy back with those people. I will fight you on this, Albus. If you overpower me and take Harry back anyway, I will take him from there myself. I will hide him; leave the country if I must. But I will not be party to this insanity. I will not condone and excuse child abuse. I cannot."

"Severus, don't you think you are being just a bit obtuse?"

"Obtuse?!" the Potions Master gaped. "Me? Obtuse?! Old man, it is you who are being obtuse! Do I need to pensieve the memories I have? Do you need to see the child's bruises and scars for yourself?"

"Active children pick up cuts and bruises, Severus," the Headmaster replied condescendingly. "Surely you of all people know that … Do you not think you are letting your own childhood affect how you see Harry's? Children don't always have all the facts, and a simple spanking could be construed as a vicious beating if we take everything they say at face value."

Severus stared at the old man. He shook his head slowly. "I can't believe what I am hearing," he said quietly. "You are a man who abhors physical reprimands, yet you are encouraging me to put a child back into an environment where it is one hundred percent certain that he will be slapped, whipped, punched, burned, or cut as punishments for things he can't even control!"

"You exaggerate, dear boy," the old man said gently. "As I said, I will speak to Harry's relatives again, and …"

"Exaggerate?" Severus shouted. "Me? Exaggerate?! Next you'll be saying Harry was lying! That his bruises were self-inflicted, and that he purposefully exaggerates his treatment there, all for what?!"

"Severus, do calm down," Albus Dumbledore said carefully. "You still have not heard me out. I wanted to remind you that you may check on Harry as often as you wish to make certain they are treating him fairly. Do not act as if I am sending him to a Death Eater torture chamber, please."

"You might as well be!" Severus Snape ranted. "If you insist on sending the boy back there, I will insist on staying there with him. I will not abandon him as you are so eager to do. Besides, what were you planning on doing for the Full Moon? Turning all of Privet Drive into a Werewolf pack?!"

"I planned for you to go pick him up and bring him here for the Full Moon," the Headmaster retorted testily. He was quickly losing patience with the hysterical Professor, and although it was risky, Severus Snape abruptly turned his back on the old man and faced the fireplace, unable to look at the old man's condescending face any longer. "One night away from the blood wards shouldn't hurt him," Dumbledore went on in a more patient tone. "He can use the Shrieking Shack, and Lupin should be completely well by then. Madam Pomfrey ought to be here to take care of any injuries afterwards, and you will be on hand to assure yourself of Harry's wellbeing. Honestly Severus … I thought you were eager to get the child off your hands."

"Not like this," Severus Snape whispered, horrified at the tears burning his eyes. "Never like this."

"Harry will be fine," the old man soothed. "Have faith in your fellow man. Things will be much better for Harry now, thanks to you. He will have a real family, and plenty of old bachelors and nosy teachers to check up on him …"

"You never really intended to contact the Weasleys or the Longbottoms, did you?" Severus accused quietly, not bothering to turn and watch Dumbledore's face. "You always planned to send him back to those monsters."

"Muggles are not monsters, Severus. I would have thought you knew that by now."

"You didn't answer my question. And don't mock my intelligence, old man. I know the difference between muggles and monsters, and believe me; the Dursleys make the distinction quite difficult indeed. Now answer the question."

The old man sighed heavily and was silent for several seconds before he spoke. "I always intended to do what was best for the boy, that is all. Exploring all possibilities is something I was willing to do … but it seems that there is really only one possibility."

"In other words, you only offered to make me feel better," Severus sneered, still not intending to turn around.

"Now, dear boy …"

"Don't!" Severus shouted, whirling around and pointing a long pale finger at the Headmaster behind the desk. "Don't patronize me! Don't lie to me! Don't 'dear boy' me! You have destroyed what trust and respect I had for you, Albus! Don't push it and make me hate you as well! I should have known you never truly cared for me or the boy! I should have known that we were nothing to you but pawns on the chessboard of your influence! So shut your mouth and stop attempting to manipulate me into agreeing with you!"

"Severus," Dumbledore sighed softly, looking supremely old and hurt. His blue eyes brimmed with tears and his ancient face seemed even older, with the lines of a man who has carried heavy burdens all his life. Severus almost felt compassion for the wounded old wizard. He almost felt guilty for his cruel words. But he occluded and kept his hateful scowl firmly in place, for he knew that it was only another tactic of the old meddler's. He had tactics too, and he would use them.

He had no idea why it had come to this. Dumbledore was Harry's magical guardian. He should care more about the child and his family. He should at least try to talk to the boy about how he was treated at home before sending him back there. He should have at least visited Harry over the years to check on him and make certain he was cared for. How had it come to this? When did Severus Snape become the keeper of James Potter's son? When did Severus Snape feel that he had to stand up to Albus Dumbledore in favour of Harry Potter? Somehow, Severus got the feeling that somewhere beyond the grave, James Potter wasn't mocking him or rolling over in his grave any longer. He could imagine James Potter standing at his side, scowling back at the Headmaster with him, as incongruous as that sounded. It was not a long stretch from there to imagine Lily on his other side, treating the old man to her famous flashing green eyes of fury.

The thought strengthened him, and he stood straighter.

"Albus," Severus Snape said solemnly, all traces of his former rage gone. "If James and Lily were standing here before you now, would you still insist that the Dursleys were best for their son? Would you still tell them that Harry must go back to his Aunt and Uncle for his safety?"

"Hypothetical questions aside," the old man smiled sadly. "I am not certain whether I am more disturbed by the fact that you are using my own tactics against me, or by the fact that you just said James Potter's name without spitting like an angry cat."

"Why do you avoid the question?" Severus demanded, his temper rising again like a cork to the surface. "It is simple enough, is it not? If the ghosts of the Potters stood before you now, would you still tell them to their face that you were sending their son back to an abusive home and you didn't care because at least it was safe from one kind of threat? Well, in that case, I may as well go drown myself so I will never be in danger of burning to death!"

"Do calm down, Severus," Albus Dumbledore scolded. "It is childish to use such ridiculous extremes as examples."

"Well, at least I –"

Dumbledore raised his hand to cut Severus off as a chime rang in his office. He turned and examined one of his dinging little bobbles on a nearby shelf. With a perplexed expression, he tapped a little stone replica of the gargoyle standing at the foot of his office staircase.

"Aurors," Albus Dumbledore informed his Potions Professor. "I am not certain why they are here, but they may want to examine the school's wards in light of Black's escape. By the way, have you been able to write to Miss Grayson yet?"

"I've been rather busy," Severus snarled.

"Of course," the Headmaster murmured. "I am sorry you feel this way, Severus, but you really have no say in this. You can cooperate and make things easier for Harry in the long run, or you can fight me. But I don't think I need to tell you that you will lose."

Severus stared incredulously at the old man, wondering if Dumbledore was actually threatening him. But he had no time to think about it since they were interrupted by fists knocking on the office door.

"Come in!" Dumbledore called out.

Four Aurors, three wizards and a witch, marched into the office, looking extremely serious and grave. Two stayed by the door, and the other two approached Severus Snape. He stood silently, his arms folded, still glowering at the Headmaster. He couldn't wait for the magical law enforcement to leave so he could finish telling Dumbledore what he thought of the old man's threats.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," the head Auror greeted respectfully with a little bow. He was a broad-shouldered man in his thirties with thick blond hair. Severus thought he looked like Thor.

"What can I do for you, Auror Spencer?" Dumbledore smiled pleasantly.

"We are actually here for your employee, Severus Snape," Auror Spencer said with an apologetic smile. "His actual home is unplottable, but according to the Ministry's records, he lives here at Hogwarts most of the time."

"Of course," Albus Dumbledore said in confusion. "He is right here. May I ask what this is about?"

Auror Spencer threw the old man an apologetic glance before drawing his wand and stepping toward Severus, who glared at him in bewilderment. "Severus Snape, you are under arrest for terrorism of muggles in violation of section 31 of the Muggle Justice Reform bill. Will you come peacefully?"

"I beg your pardon?" Severus hissed icily. "I have done no such thing."

"You have the right to remain silent, as anything you say can and will be used against you," Auror Spencer went on.

"Wait a minute!" Severus shouted, putting both hands up to show that he wasn't armed with his wand. "Exactly when is this alleged terrorism purported to have taken place? Who accused me?"

"That, I don't really know, Professor Snape," the man smiled sympathetically. "It'll all be cleared up at the ministry, I'm sure. Now, will you surrender your wand or should I just expelliarmus it away from you?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at the naïve man, struggling to maintain control of the situation through sarcastic insults. "You really are an idiot, you know that?" he sneered. "If I were dangerous I could have killed all four of you already! What do they teach you at Auror training?"

"Your wand, please," Auror Spencer said in a firmer voice, there was a dangerous glint in his blue eyes and Severus didn't miss how the other three Aurors were now in position to curse him from three other directions if he moved out of place.

Severus grumbled under his breath and flicked his wand from its holster onto the floor. It clattered on the flagstones and the female Auror quickly retrieved it, thrusting the black wood into a holder on her belt. He accepted the magical handcuffs that pinned his wrists together behind his back, and was very aware of Dumbledore watching the whole thing with an expression of bafflement on his face.

"Come along," the woman ordered him gruffly. She took one of his arms and Spencer took the other. The two Aurors by the door led the way down the spiral staircase.

"Albus …" Severus started, glancing over at the old man as his captors attempted to pull him along.

"I'll take care of your responsibilities at home, never fear," Dumbledore said quickly. "And I'll come see you in the morning if they haven't let you go by then. But I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding and you'll be out in a few hours."

Severus shook his head helplessly. Fear clawed at his chest and panic made his head struggled briefly against the Aurors, silently begging them to take him away just yet. "Don't send him back," he pleaded, gazing desperately at the Headmaster. "Don't send him back without me."

"I will do what I feel is right, Severus," Albus Dumbledore replied quietly, not moving from his chair.

Severus' heart lurched with agony and terror. "Don't you dare!" he shouted, desperately fighting the Aurors who were trying to drag him out. "Don't you dare take him, Albus, you bastard!"

One of the Aurors muttered, "Stupefy," and Severus felt like he had run into a wall. Awareness slipped away and he felt himself sliding into the darkness of despair as he lost consciousness. He had lost, and Harry was lost as well.

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I hope I didn't make this chapter too depressing or end it on too much of a cliffhanger, but it is time to get back into the drama of the story, after all.

Let me know what you think of Dumbledore. To explain, he is purposefully turning a blind eye here, refusing to talk to Harry about his relatives and refusing to believe that Severus is being logical (rather than emotional) here so he won't have to face his mistakes in placing Harry in such an environment. Keep in mind, Severus has not told Dumbledore any details, only threatened to, so it is easy for the old man to pretend it isn't so bad. All Dumbledore is thinking of is protecting Harry from Dark Magic no matter what, and he doesn't really believe that somebody's own family would hate them so virulently. It doesn't even matter to him anymore whether Sirius is evil or not because even if Black is innocent, Azkaban surely left him insane and a danger to Harry regardless. I greatly disliked Albus Dumbledore in the books, but I also don't exactly like fanfic stories featuring evil Dumbledore etc. I just don't agree with his methods and think his treatment of Harry in the canon was certainly along the lines of abuse, at least through his neglect of the boy, and the way he encouraged Harry's dangerous behaviors just to keep his weapon primed, and his manipulation of almost everybody around him.

In my story, while Dumbledore certainly doesn't condone abuse, he prefers to convince himself that it's not as bad as Severus is making it out to be, and that it will make Harry stronger and safer. Also, I'm imagining that Dumbledore really doesn't know much about Werewolves or their unique psychology at this point. He believes they're just normal people who get sick once a month, that's all. See, my Dumbledore is eternally optimistic and refuses to believe that things are as bad as they seem, while Severus is a realist who knows from experience how abuse can scar a person for life, and he is learning about Werewolves through his interactions with Harry and his research.

On another note, thank you to all who gave me ideas for Snape's animagus transformation! While he is going to be too occupied for now to even think of it, I eventually want to bring that into the story. It would be wonderful for Harry to have that support on the Full Moons, but Severus will be reluctant to do it because of his own insecurities and issues with the Marauders etc. Angst awaits!

Warning: next chapter may be traumatic and difficult to read. It won't be called "Return to Hell" for nothing.

Thank you for reviewing and favoriting and following! You all are the best!