Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

The next evening after Harry's detention, Severus left the castle grounds, and once past the wards, he disapparated into the Dursleys' kitchen, causing the three of them to scream. He hadn't expected the Dursley boy to be there, knowing he went away to school but was more than pleased that he was. This way he could deal with them all at once.

"Who are you? Get out of here!" Vernon yelled as he tried to stand up. His stomach was so large it made it difficult.

Severus twirled his wand casually. "I am a professor at your nephew's school." He said calmly.

"So? If he got himself into trouble or hurt, we don't care. He's not our problem until summer." Petunia said nastily.

"He's not your problem at all anymore," Severus said.

"Is he dead?" Dudley asked hopefully. "Then I can have my second bedroom back."

"What a horrible, spoiled son you have," Severus said in disgust. "Shouldn't he be in school? Did he get expelled for being stupid?"

"No, he's home visiting," Vernon said, clearly affronted. "Dudley is a smart boy!"

"How dare you? Leave us – wait." Petunia frowned. "Aren't you the boy from my old neighborhood? You hung out with Lily and your father was the town drunk." She gave him a mean smile.

"Yes, Tuney," Severus smirked.

Petunia scowled. She hated that nickname.

"I see you're still jealous that your sister was special and that you have taken it out on your nephew, who is also special." Severus continued.

"You mean a freak. He's a freak just like she was." Petunia snarled.

"Oh, really? Then why did you write to Albus Dumbledore begging him to let you attend Hogwarts along with Lily?" Severus gave a slow smile as Petunia's eyes widened in shock. "Yes, I know about that. I had a good laugh over it."

"Get out of my house!" Petunia yelled.

"Not yet. First, we will discuss your treatment of my son."

"Your son?" Petunia asked in confusion.

"Harry."

"That boy is your son?" Petunia's glaze turned gleeful. "I knew she wasn't as good and perfect as she acted! What a tramp! Pregnant with another man's child while married to that other man! The slut!"

In a rage, Severus flicked his wand, and Petunia's mouth glued shut. "Do not speak of Lily that way." He hissed. "You know nothing about what happened." Petunia had shut out Lily from her life when Lily was still at Hogwarts so she never knew about her marriage to him.

"Mmmff!' Petunia used her hands to try and open her mouth.

"Undo whatever freaky thing you did to my wife!" Vernon demanded.

"Make him leave, Dad. I want mum to make me more waffles." Dudley whined.

Severus stared at the horrid muggles. They were awful, truly awful. His son had been raised here? With these people? And yet, Harry was still so sweet, so kind despite being around this. "You abused my son." He said in a low voice.

Vernon's eyes widened nervously. "No, we didn't! He's a liar!"

"Is he? So you didn't ever slap him across the face? Lock him in a cupboard? Starve him? Make him do excessive chores? Let your son bully him and hit him? Your wife didn't burn his hand if he accidentally burnt the dinner he had to make you? Dinner he usually didn't get to eat?"

Vernon paled. "Uh...he – he was a handful! We had to be strict with him!"

"Strict?" Severus repeated slowly. "I am strict. You are cruel and abusive. When you weren't mistreating him, you were neglecting him."

"Well, where were you?" Vernon blustered with his eyes nervously on the wand in Severus's hands. "If you're his father, then why was he with us? You obviously didn't want him either!"

Severus slashed his wand furiously in the air and watched as Vernon doubled over in pain.

Dudley watched with wide eyes. He flinched when Severus glared down at him. "I didn't do anything to that freak!" He lied.

"You beat him up every chance you got," Severus hissed. "You would lie to your parents and say he broke your toys when you were the one who broke him. Did you enjoy watching him be locked up and starved?"

"I- I-" Dudley stammered.

"Leave my son alone!" Vernon recovered from the spell that had felt like he was being hit in the stomach. "He's a nice, normal boy. Unlike yours!"

"That's it. Mures Inclusi!" Severus watched with a grim smile as the three Dursleys turned into rats. A big fat one, a skinny one, and a smaller chubby one. They began squeaking indignantly at him.

After securing them in a cage, he went to the cupboard his son had lived in and opened it. It was so small and dark, he thought sadly. He reached in and saw a tattered blanket, a thin pillow, and a sign written in a childish scrawl, Harry's Room. Severus felt fury and sorrow fill him at the sight. He stood up and then headed up the stairs. He found his son's room. Dudley's second bedroom, he thought in disgust as he looked at all the broken toys. The bed was small and had springs sticking out of the mattress. The bedspread was incredibly thin with holes in it. His son had made a calendar counting down the days until Hogwarts started. On another paper, he had written his name several times. Harry James Snape. Underneath were questions Harry had written.

Will my father like me?

How do I tell him?

Will I be good at potions?

Will he want me?

Severus shut his eyes, pain filling him as he recalled how he had treated Harry in that first potions class. How hurt and confused the boy must have felt to have his father, even if Severus hadn't known yet, berate him and treat him so disdainfully. He must have wondered what Lily could have possibly seen in him, which was something Severus had always wondered. That deep insecurity had made it easy for him to believe that Lily would dump him for someone else. If only he had fought to stay with her, he would have realized something was wrong. He would have realized she was under a curse and helped her fight it off sooner, they would have stayed together. He would have been there when his son was born. You can't change the past, he reminded himself. He could only go forward and take care of his son.

HP

A few days later, Albus came to visit him in his lab. "Severus, I have heard some disturbing reports from Mrs. Figg." He reported.

"Have you?" Severus looked up from the cauldron he was stirring.

"The Dursleys appear to be missing." Dumbledore frowned. "I know you had planned to visit them to discuss their treatment of Harry. Do you think you frightened them into running away?"

"I frightened them but they didn't run away," Severus smirked and then glanced over to a wire cage that held three squealing rats. Two fat ones and a skinny one.

Dumbledore followed his gaze and sighed. "Really Severus." He said disapprovingly.

"What? I give them food and water every day. That's more than they did for Harry." Severus sniffed.

"You know you can not keep them like that," Dumbledore said patiently.

"I know. I may need some parts for some of my potions. Or I was thinking of feeding them to a snake. Or perhaps let Mrs. Norris have some fun." Severus gave a slow smile.

Dumbledore gave him a stern look. "No. You need to return them and restore them back. And erase their memories of this."

Severus just stared at him.

"Or, spell them to have nightmares of being rats." Dumbledore amended. He grinned. "They can dream they are being chased by snakes and cats."

Severus considered this. "Fine. But they are getting off too easy." He grumbled.

"They deserve more for treating Harry so badly, I agree," Dumbledore said quietly. "But Severus, the important thing is that Harry never has to see them again. He has you now and you'll make sure he is well taken care of and happy."

"He's not that happy right now. I'm always on him about his grades, he has detention with me for being out after curfew, I assigned him an essay..." Severus said ruefully. No wonder the child hadn't wanted him to know he was his father.

Dumbledore chuckled. "He's getting used to having a parent and you are getting used to being one. I think you are both doing wonderfully."

"He and his friends are worried about the Sorcerer's Stone," Severus informed him.

Dumbledore looked surprised. "How do they know about that?" He listened as Severus told him. "Your son has had a busy year." He remarked. "Bright kids."

"You know who I suspect."

"Yes. I admit he's been acting a little odd but we have no proof that Quirrell is after the Stone. But I'll keep a close eye on him." Dumbledore added quickly, seeing the scowl form on Severus's face.

HP

Quirrell hissed in frustration. It wasn't working! He had put the stupid three-headed dog to sleep with music but the trapdoor wasn't opening. It's been spelled shut, he realized in shock. He hadn't realized that was one of the protections guarding the stone. Actually, he was sure it wasn't. Which meant someone had recently done it. Dumbledore or Snape, he snarled to himself.

Yet another failure!

Quirrell winced. "I'm sorry, Master." He whimpered. "The trapdoor must have a protection spelled on it!"

I wanted that stone!

"I'm sorry."

No matter, no matter...there is another way I can be brought back...

"Anything Master, I'll do anything!"

Good. Because not only will you help bring me back, but you'll also unleash a monster that will rid this school of mudbloods... And then I can deal with that traitor Snape and his precious son!

HP

Harry was heading out of the castle to join his Quidditch team as they had a game today against the Slytherins.

"Have a g – good game P- Potter," Quirrell said as he passed him in the hallway.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said politely.

"W – wouldn't want your b- broom to act up again." Quirrell gave a small smile. "Be c-careful out there."

Harry stared after him. His broom acting up! He and his friends had thought his dad had been behind it. Harry felt shame at the memory. He ran to his dad's classroom, hoping he was still there.

"Harry, shouldn't you be with your team? I was just about to leave to watch you play." Severus said in surprise when his son ran in.

"Remember the match when my broom acted weird? Is there a way to check if it's been jinxed?" Harry asked anxiously.

"I do remember and I've already gone over your broom with anti-jinx spells. It's protected."

Harry relaxed. "Thanks for doing that. I'd forgotten all about it and how we thought you were behind it but -"

"You thought I was behind it?" Severus stared at him.

Harry looked at him guiltily. "Well, yeah sort of. I mean, it was before you knew about me and you were treating me like you hated me so when Hermione and Ron saw that you were staring at me and muttering a spell -"

"It was to counter whatever curse was placed on your broom. I can't believe you thought I was trying to kill you!" Severus said in aghast.

"It just seemed kind of likely to us, especially as my broom righted itself after Hermione started the fire and -"

"Granger set me on fire?!" Severus exploded. Merlin, what was with these children?

Oops, Harry flinched. "I'm sorry." He said miserably. "I know now you wouldn't hurt me but I didn't know that then. I was angry and confused and..."

"It's okay, Harry. I understand." Severus shook his head. "You knew someone was after you and assuming it was me makes sense given how I treated you. But Merlin, setting me on fire..."

"You won't be mad at Hermione, will you?"

Severus sighed. "No, I suppose not. Why are you asking me about this now?"

"Professor Quirrell just stopped me in the hallway and wished me luck on my game. He said it would be a shame if my broom acted up again and to be careful out there."

"Oh, did he?" Severus asked quietly.

"He makes me a little uncomfortable," Harry admitted. "I don't know why."

"I never want you to be alone with him. If he ever holds you after class, you come straight to me." Severus instructed.

"Do you think he was the one who jinxed my broom?" Harry asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know. The Headmaster and I are still looking into who jinxed your broom. It's another reason following all the rules is important and why you should not be wandering around the castle after curfew." Severus said, eyeing his son sternly. "Now, I'll take another look at your broom before your game starts." He put his arm around Harry and guided him down the hallway. He wouldn't tell Harry that he would be casting a Protego around him while he flew. It would stop any spells being sent at his son, or objects jinxed to hurt him. Just in case.

HP

Severus watched anxiously as the Bludger kept flying towards his son. If he hadn't cast that Protego, he was sure Harry would have been knocked off his broom. He had to commend the Weasley twins for trying to keep it away from his son, they were more concerned with protecting Harry than the game.

Severus scowled as Harry flew higher, doing loops and spirals as he tried to out-fly the Bludger. He gasped with the crowd as Harry flew right at the Slytherin seeker. The seeker moved out of the way and Harry kept flying straight, holding out his hand and reaching for the fluttering snitch. He grasped it and then held it up high, to the cheers of the Gryffindors.

The Bludger still kept trying to get to Harry, bouncing back when it hit the invisible shield around him and then trying again. Harry landed on the ground and looked up as the Bludger flew down at him. Fred and George both jumped into the air and grabbed the struggling Bludger.

"Five points to Gryffindor," Severus murmured approvingly. He heard chuckling and turned to Dumbledore.

"I don't think you've ever given Gryffindor points," Dumbledore remarked.

Severus lifted one shoulder. "They were intent on protecting my son more than on winning."

"You were smart to use the protego," Dumbledore said. "You were right that someone is targeting Harry. I will run a test on the Bludger to see if I can find out who charmed it to go after him like that."

Severus glanced at Quirrell, who was clapping along with the rest of the professors. I know it's you, he thought spitefully. He just needed to prove it.

"Did you see?" Harry asked when Severus joined him. "We won!"

"Yes, although my House lost," Severus said casually.

Harry's face fell. "Oh. Right. I'm sorr-"

Severus held up a hand. "Do not apologize. I'm proud of you."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You flew very well, although some of those stunts you did -"

"Did you see the bludger?" Harry asked quickly, hoping to put off a lecture about the moves he did while flying.

Severus raised an eyebrow. He would talk to Harry later about his unnecessary stunts. "Yes. The Headmaster is going to look at it and try to figure out what happened."

"Is it like with my broom?" Harry asked quietly.

"It may be," Severus said.

"It was weird how the bludger kept coming at me but didn't hit me," Harry said.

"It was like you had a shield around you," Hermione piped up as she and Ron joined them.

"What?" Ron asked in confusion.

"A shield charm creates a protective barrier between you and your attacker," Hermione explained. "I read about it. We don't learn it for several years, though."

Ron stared at her. "Have you read and memorized every magical book there is?"

"No," Hermione said with a huff.

"Why read about something we won't learn about for years?" Ron asked.

"It's interesting, Ronald," Hermione said.

Harry rolled his eyes at their bickering and looked up at his dad. "Did you shield me?"

"Yes," Severus admitted, wondering if his son would be upset about that.

"Oh." Harry studied him for a moment. "Thank you." He said sincerely.

TBC: