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Chapter 12

"Is there anything more Headmaster?" Snape said, his face as always a mask for his true feelings, if he was nervous about the current situation he had yet to show it. Harry on the other hand had curled back into a ball and wasn't moving.

"I was just wondering if there was anything else you two would like to tell me. For

example who was it that held Harry captive?"

"A powerful member of the inner-circle, there is no doubt no evidence of such activities though" Dumbledore nodded, the insinuation was not lost on Harry, Lucius Malfoy. It was plausible; Malfoy had power and influence in high places even if he had just been released from Azkaban.

"Very well Severus you may go. Harry I would like a quite word with you in private" Severus got up and in a bellow of fabric left the room. Harry now was feeling uneasy, Dumbledore turned to him.

"It seems to me that Severus has finally told you the truth about your parentage" Harry didn't respond. Dumbledore continued

"Very well, Harry if you want to talk about what has happened to you, my door is always open" again Harry didn't respond.

"Harry will you please say or do something? I think I preferred you trashing the place to this" Harry drew his legs further toward him. He honestly didn't understand why this bothered anyone I don't tell them how to sit he thought absently. He thought about answering Dumbledore, but he couldn't think of a thing to say that seemed important. Besides his jaw ached, the bruise had done its job with the aurors but it didn't make it feel any better. He heard Dumbledore sigh

"Very well Harry you may go, I believe you father is expecting you" Harry didn't need to be told twice he rose and left the office as quickly as he could without running. Once out side he released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and headed for the dungeons. He reached the door to Snapes quarters and knocked. His father opened the door and let him in.

"Dumbledore didn't give you a hard time did he?" Harry shook his head. Severus nodded very well, he turned and went into a conjoining room, he returned carrying a goblet, he handed it to Harry

"Drink this down" Harry obliged, the potion was bitter, like coffee, Harry finished it his jaw didn't ache. Severus lifted his head slightly and inspected the mark

"Harry I am so sorry, I didn't think I hit you that hard" Harry shrugged it off

"My face bruises easily, it will be gone in a day, and that's without magic. Severus sat down next to Harry

"And how do you know that?" Harry's eyes went wide he heard the phrase from an American teenage show go through his mind uh oh busted he shrugged Severus knew everything else. Harry kept his attention fully on the empty goblet he was cuddling

"My uncle - he liked to kiss me and then he'd hit me saying it was my fault and I seduced him… and occasionally he liked to bite" he didn't look up from the goblet, he stared into the polished metal, he wasn't aware his father had moved until he felt his hand on his shoulders. Severus lent down and rested his cheek on the top of Harry's head.

"I promise you, he will never hurt you ever again." Harry nodded empty promises he heard them a hundred times before, he didn't care, he didn't believe them anymore. Harry was tired he was falling asleep at the table, but then he felt it, the pain he screamed out with the pain, he felt himself fall sideways, he didn't hit the floor Severus picked him up and carried him into the bedroom. Harry was kicking and throwing his arms about, he looked like he was a having a fit, Severus straddled him pinning his arms and legs to the beds, trying to prevent Harry from injuring himself.

"NO, DON'T! NO!" Harry was screaming out tears were falling down his face. After fifteen minutes he calmed down and stopped thrashing, Severus got off him. Two minutes after that Harry ran from the room and threw up violently. Severus stood by the door stroking his back. Harry threw up until there was nothing left in his stomach, and continued to retch for a good five minutes, he rose shakily he turned the sink tap on swallowing mouthfuls of water.

"What did you see?"  Severus asked, Harry was still very pale,

"He was torturing someone, I don't know who, he said it was punishment for not finding me" Harry gasped and his knees buckled. Severus caught him and half carried half dragged him to the couch, Dumbledore was standing in the doorway to his quarters. Severus didn't know how long he had been there.

"Do you remember anything else Harry?" He asked kindly, Harry drew his legs up to his chest and tried to stop his shaking. Severus wrapped a blanket around him and held him.

"Harry? Professor Dumbledore asked if you saw anything else" Harry shook his head slowly, the movement causing him a great deal of pain. Dumbledore moved further into the room he reached for Harry

"Are you sure?" he said, Harry drew himself into a tighter ball nodded but he also whimpered. Severus wasn't sure why the headmaster had that effect on his child, but he sure as hell wasn't putting up with it tonight.

"Headmaster, it has been a long day I would like my son to stay in my quarters for the summer. Dumbledore didn't take his eyes off Harry but nodded

"Very well Severus we had better make room for him" Dumbledore headed back into the kitchen, he uttered some spells under his breath and the room grew in size and then when it was twice it's original size it split into two rooms, the new room disappeared from sight, it reappeared on top of the kitchen, a small stair case off to the far side of the kitchen Severus and Dumbledore climbed the stairs and entered the large barren room that had appeared.

"What do you think the boy would like Severus" Dumbledore said, he had his old twinkle in his eye, he liked adding rooms. Severus thought for a moment

"Give him a private bathroom he is big on privacy" Dumbledore nodded, at the back of the vast space a new room was created, the bathroom was complete with shower, bath toilet and sink, it also had several shelves and a cabinet with a mirror on the door. Dumbledore looked at the rest of the room, the floor grew a thick red carpet, a four poster bed in dark wood with thick silver velvet drapes also appeared, the walls painted themselves in a warm burgundy. A large closet, a desk and chair also appeared; above the desk several shelves attached themselves to the wall all in the same rich, dark wood. It was finished by a fireplace, in front of which was a green and silver rug with the Snape family crest on it. Severus nodded,

"Too Gryffindor for my tastes but I'm sure he'll like it. What about his stuff?"

"Molly will bring it tomorrow, no doubt with a welcoming committee" Severus nodded. They returned to see that Harry, thought still pale had regained some colour, he hadn't moved. Severus left Harry and Dumbledore in the living room as he went into the lab. Dumbledore looked at the boy

"Harry, you seem unsettled by me. With you please tell me why?" Harry looked at him; his eyes were full of hurt and confusion

"Why did you send me there?"

"There was nowhere else, Severus was in danger of going to Azkaban, and if the Death Eaters knew he was your father they would have tired to kill you both. It was safer for you to be there"

"But you sent me back, you knew I was unhappy and you sent me back what did I do that was so wrong?" Dumbledore looked regretfully at the boy; there was no malice in his voice just pain

"Harry you did nothing, I am sorry I did not know that things were this bad. Please believe me if I had, I would never had sent you back there" Harry nodded but still didn't uncurl himself from his little ball. Severus walked back into the room, he eyed the headmaster suspiciously and then moved over to Harry, brushed his hair out his eyes

"Drink this Harry it's the dreamless sleep potion" Harry took the potion and drank it he smiled emptily

"All you seem to do is give me potions" Serverus smirked, inwardly he sighed the boys right, he's taking so many. He sat on the couch next to Harry, and pinched the bridge of his nose

"Is there something more I can help you with Albus?" Dumbledore looked at the weary potion master

"Yes Severus, but I feel it can wait until tomorrow. Goodnight you both look like you need sleep" Severus nodded

"Goodnight Albus", the headmaster rose and left. Severus glanced at Harry, he was already asleep, he picked him up, still amazed at how little he weighed and carried him up to his new bedroom. He put him on the bed and took his glasses off, Severus looked at Harry for the first time properly, he was so small he looked frail. If Severus didn't already know that his was stronger then steel he would have thought that the boy was weak. Harry murmured something in his sleep before rolling onto his side, even in sleep the boy wrapped himself up into a ball. Severus shook himself breaking the spell that his son seemed to have over him, he left the room, knowing if he didn't leave then he would stay there all night.

Harry woke in the morning, and looked around I must start waking up where I go to sleep he thought absently; he didn't have a clue where he was; Hogwarts yes but it wasn't the dormitory. He rose spying the bathroom, ambled over to have a shower shedding his clothes in the process. He turned the faucet, dousing himself in the hot water trying to shake the last remnants of the vision from his mind, OUCH! He thought as he ran his hand over his upper arm. He had a very large bruise on each bicep, they had obvious finger marks, he found there where bruises on his legs too, he guessed it was from where Severus had restrained him last night. He turned the water off and stepped out the shower, he wrapped one towel round his waist and was rubbing his hair dry with a second and he re-entered the room, Severus was sitting at the desk, he was wearing black slacks and a green top, his hair was in a pony tail, he didn't look like the greasy potions master Harry remembered. Severus turned when he heard the bathroom door open.

"Hello" Harry said, a little surprised to see him there

"Hello, the staff are having breakfast in the staff room, would you like to go? If not I'll get the house-elves to bring something up to us."

"Umm… I don't mind, shall we join everyone? I won't be long…" Harry trailed off looking round the room, he dropped the towel he had been using on his hair onto the bed

"I don't seem to have any appropriate clothing" he said sheepishly, he was still in the muggle hand me downs of Dudley's when Severus had taken him, the black robe Severus had lent him was nowhere in sight and the rest of his stuff was at the Burrow. Severus got up and opened the closet; a selection of robes and clothes were hanging in there,

"Oh um thanks" Harry said feeling like an idiot for not looking in the wardrobe to start with. Severus smirked and ruffled Harry's hair, he then noticed his arms.

"They weren't there a few days ago, where did you get them?"

"Umm, I think you did it last night when I was having my see-through-his-eyes episode" guilt washed across Severus's face he hadn't realised he had put so much force into it.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, Harry shrugged it off

"It happens, you should have seen day after the first one, I had Ron and Seamus on one are and Dean and Neville on the other, I had green arms for a week" he said, with an embarrassed laugh. Severus didn't looked too convince, he lightly brush his knuckles over one of the bruises, Harry winced and moved slightly away but didn't make a noise.

"Get dressed" Severus said quietly and left the room. Harry sighed, at least he didn't get yelled at, he turned his attention back to the wardrobe, he picked out a silver shirt with black trousers, he chose a mostly black robe with red and gold embroidery on the sleeves. He dressed quickly silently thankful that the robe covered his old worn out trainers and headed down the staircase. Severus was waiting for him in the kitchen pacing up and down. He stopped when he saw Harry and stared at him. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that he had just committed a wizarding faux pas but he didn't know what it was

"Have I done something wrong?" he said quietly still standing on the stairs so he could bolt up to the room if needed. Severus shook his head

"No, you haven't now stop looking like a rabbit in wand light and get down here" Harry was relieved and obliged. Severus viewed him critically

"Not bad, we'll make a wizard off you yet" he said teasingly, Harry blushed and looked at the floor, he didn't get compliments often and wasn't sure how to react.

"Come on we're late already" Severus lead him out of the chamber and into the dungeon corridors.