Summary: Can one person and fate make the difference in Severus' life?
Disclaimer: I own nothng but the plot, sue me and become poor.
A/N: This fic is AU, not canon. Any reviews will be welcomed, flames or references to that is not possible in the book will be thrown into the fire to keep me warm.
Reviewers!
lilyseyes: Thanks! I am glad you like it
Elwen of Imladris: You shall have to wait and see if more pain comes to Harry.
AccioSeverus: Yes the DE's do think that, and yes they are at Snape's home, not Hogwarts, and he will tell Dumbledore soon
Ceyxa: THANKS! I like action, and angst, and hero Severus is my fav, next to daddy Severus.
mb: This will be a Severitus, and the Dursley's will have their time ahem
rosiegirl: thanks! and glad to see you in the new fic!
Thanks to all my reviewers! you made my day!
Chapter 3
Within moments the entire street of Privet Drive was in chaos. The Order had arrived, followed by a group of Aurors. Dumbledore, took the lead, and soon came across the body of Arabella Figg left lying dead in the street. Stepping over to her he saw, she had died in a most horrible fashion; the same way all who opposed the Dark Lord died. Dumbledore motioned to a few Aurors to remove her body, as he was on a mission, and that was to reach Harry.
He should have listened to Minerva and her doubts all those years ago, but he had trusted Lily's sister to love the boy, as his mother would have done. Dumbledore could waste no more time, as from inside the doorway to Number Four Privet Drive stood Remus Lupin, howling as if he were frightened. Stumbling into a run, Dumbledore and the others reached him, just before he collapsed into a heap
"Not again, not Harry," he sobbed into Arthur Weasley's shirt. Arthur's face had grown pale at the sight before him. Inside the house was charred, as if some major battle had occurred here. The walls were melted, and there was blood throughout the sitting room.
Dumbledore wasted no more time. He pushed past the grieving Remus, and walked in. He stalked amongst the ruins, and saw the stunned bodies of Crabbe and Goyle, as Lucius had left the others to their fate. He could not however, hold back Remus who now bounded forward, pointing his wand.
"Ennervate!" he shouted at the pair, and then his eyes turned red.
"Where is Harry? What have you done with him!" he said dropping his wand to wrap his hands around Crabbe's fat neck.
"Remus, let him go. He can tell you nothing if he is dead," Dumbledore said, prying the werewolf's hands from Crabbe's neck.
"I won't tell you anything" Crabbe spat. "Let the little freak die for all I care. He is unworthy of the Dark Lord's attention."
Molly Weasley had heard enough, and she swiftly put a silencing charm on the man. Turning she placed another charm around herself and spoke to Minerva. "Where is Severus, Minerva? Did someone not inform him of what was happening?"
"I sent the message myself, but for why he is not here, I cannot explain it. Perhaps he is with Voldemort now."
All in the room stopped speaking as Dumbledore let out a gasp. Lying at his feet was McNair, dead, his eyes opened in an expression of defeat. He knew this did not bode well for Harry, and turned to the others.
"Spread out and search the house." Pointing to the Aurors he spoke again. "You go out and charm the neighbors to forget what they have seen. We shall all apparate from here."
Thirty minutes later they all met back in the kitchen. None had found Harry, and Hagrid was in tears, along with Remus.
Dumbledore sat down on the couch, where Harry had lay only hours ago. Placing his hands on his temples he sighed. "All we can do now is keep someone here to see if he comes back, and to inform the Muggles of what has happened. Dumbledore saw there would be no volunteers for the job, and appointed Remus to stay. Rising from the couch he signalled all the others to go back and search their homes in case Harry had shown up there.
"We will not speak of this to the Ministry. Harry is in enough danger without the whole wizarding world knowing. Nodding, the others all apparated away leaving only Remus and Dumbledore behind in the house.
All the wars he had fought, all the battles he had seen were now visible on his face. The almighty Dumbledore now seemed nothing more than an old man, who had simply lost the will to go on. As he turned to apparate away, Remus saw a solitary tear slip down his cheek, and then he was gone. Remus sat down to wait for the Muggles, and to plot his revenge on whoever had taken Harry.
Severus had not been able to sleep. His role as a spy was now over, for Crabbe and Goyle would surely tell of his treachery. Lucius he was sure would send them out for his blood. Soon, all of the Death Eaters would be hunting for him, and the prized Boy Who Lived. Severus had spent years telling himself the child was spoiled, and undeserving of his adulation, but what lay before him was a boy who had been beaten into thinking he was nothing. Severus could relate to the child, he could see the pain in his eyes, and he knew the dark secrets they both likely shared.
He had healed all the wounds he could, and now had to wait for the boy to awake to determine if his mind would remember the horrors of the night. No doubt Harry would hate him, if he knew who Severus was, but that would have to wait for another time. He would hide, and hide the boy too, until he was sure the danger had passed. Dumbledore would be furious with him, but that right now did not matter. Running his hands through his hair, he dropped his head back and fell asleep.
Severus dreamt of many things. He dreamt of how Voldemort had fooled them all into thinking he was long dead, when in fact he was still alive, but merely a shadow of what he once was. What Severus, not the others understood was his undying need to get to Harry, his thirst for vengence for not being able to kill him had gone unquenched. Severus shielded his thoughts, using every trick in Occulmens that he knew, and his diligence had paid off when the Dark Lord suspected nothing of his true feelings. Now, he would suffer the consequences, his dark mark burning at every call, but he would not heed it. His only concern now was Harry, and he would battle anyone to keep him safe.
Harry stirred in his sleep, and pain shot through his body, causing him to cry out. Knowing this would bring nothing but punishment, he quickly bit his lip to quiet any sounds before they escaped, but he was too late.
Severus felt the boy move, and opened his eyes. When he heard Harry cry out, he went to push back the unruly hair from his eyes. Harry flinched, and Severus drew his hand back as though he had been bitten.
Harry sat up despite his injuries, and turned two haunted green orbs to look at Severus. "Who are you, and where are we?"
I am Severus Snape, and we are at my house. Do you know what happened?"
Harry pondered the thought for a minute and then spoke. "The bad men came, and they hurt me, but you saved me and took me away from them." Harry looked at Severus, and tilted his head back. He then moved away when he saw Severus pull his wand out.
"I am not going to hurt you Harry, surely you know what a wand is."
Harry shook his head no, and moved even further back on the couch, screaming out in agony as he did so.
Severus gently drew the boy back, and overlooked the flinching the boy gave as though he expected to be hit as a matter of course. "I am a wizard Harry, and so are you. Have your aunt and uncle not spoken to you about it?"
Again Harry shook his head no, and he peered into Severus' eyes. "Wizards aren't real, they are make believe."
Severus Snape did something he normally did not do, he laughed out loud. "Who told you that rubbish, the Muggles?" When he saw the fact that Harry did not understand any of it, he tried to explain. Muggles are people without magic, ordinary people."
"You mean like me. I'm ordinary. Nothing special about me." Harry said, his eyes filling with tears again.
"You, Harry are one of the most important people, but I will explain all that later. Right now you need to drink this," he said thrusting the potion from his pocket into Harry's hand.
Harry looked at him as if he had three heads.
"It is a potion, ummm... medicine for your wounds. Drink up, and it will make you feel better."
Harry did not want to drink it at all, but he was too scared to disobey. Drinking it down, he felt the medicine begin to work almost immediately. His eyes were getting heavy, and he could not keep them open. Severus picked the boy up and walked into the other room. Placing him on the bed, he pulled the covers up around the child's shoulders. The boy was shivering, but he had given him something in the potion to fight off a fever. It then became clear to him that the boy was scared, and no potion could cure that. Extinguishing off the light beside the bed, he was about to leave the room, when he heard the sound of a choked sob.
"Don't leave me here in the dark. I'm afraid of the dark," Harry managed to gasp out between the hiccuped sobs.
Severus walked back over to the bed and sat down. "I will only be in the other room if you need me." He desperately wanted to crawl into his own bed, and get some sleep, but the haunting look on the boy's face froze him where he sat. It was those damn eyes, Lily's eyes..., the same ones that he could not refuse years ago were now staring at him, begging him not to leave. How could he refuse them..., simply put he could not.
Severus scooted Harry over on the bed, and kicking off his shoes he pulled the covers up and lay down to get some rest. Much to his surprise, the boy wriggled over and laid his head down on his chest. He was trembling even now as he drifted off to sleep. What had those Muggles done to him? What could make a boy this scared, and look for comfort in a complete stranger? but deep down, Severus knew. He had seen first hand the abuse, and Harry's body and actions screamed that he too had been without a decent home. "I will keep you safe Harry," he said to himself.
Two hours later, Severus could still not fall asleep, even though Harry had. He listened to the boy's uneven breathing, and watched for any signs of trouble. One thing kept replaying itself over and over in his mind. McNair had said to take from Harry, what he had taken from his mother. Severus knew he had taken from her something that no one had, but the Death Eaters knew. He had been gentle, and caring, and yet now something was eating away at him. Was this child his, was Harry Potter really his son, or was it simply something he wanted too much to be true? There was a simple way to find out, and Severus knew he had to know the answer.
Harry whimpered in his sleep, and Severus leaned over. "Harry, are you alright?" This brought another small whimper and few tears in response. "No more, I promise I'll be good, please no more." Harry whispered to some unseen foe.
Severus pulled the boy closer, and made a solemn vow. Whether this boy was his son or not, no one would ever hurt him again. Rolling over, he finally drifted off into sleep, dreaming of his Lily, and her smile that lit up the world.
A/N: Soon you will find out about the Dursley's and the werewolf left there till they ge home.