Chapter Two

Is That Potter's Owl?

ONE

Severus Snape was in his potions lab working on some experimental potions when Albus Dumbledore requested a game of chess. Severus never understood Albus' strange sense of timing, but chess with the old wizard always proved to be an interesting affair. He packed up his supplies and put his notebook into a pocket on the inside of his black robes.

Severus was a tall man with sallow skin, shoulder-length black hair and black eyes. He wasn't overly skinny, but he wasn't over weight by any means. Most people could never tell just what he looked like because he always wore long billowing black robes. The fact that he had a well-toned abdomen was something he wanted to hide from Hogwarts female population. He didn't consider himself handsome, but he did think he had a sex appeal that was undeniable.

He was now in his private rooms preparing himself for a chess match against one of Hogwarts best players. He had a new strategy for Albus today, and thought he might have a good chance of winning this time.

Behind him, a tall man appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. Said man was naked and very handsome. He had blonde hair and rippling muscles and he was only slightly shorter than Severus. His gray eyes were sparkling with lust as he watched Severus put away his things.

"Where are you going, Severus?" he asked.

"Albus has invited me for a game of chess," Severus replied shortly.

"I don't know why you bother with it," the blonde said. He walked up behind Severus and placed his hands around the Slytherin's waist.

Severus peeled the man's hands away. "I don't know why you insist on tormenting me, Mike," he said sourly. The blonde man was Mike Selveina. He attended Durmstrang Academy in his school days, and he irritated Severus to no end. Severus kept him around for one reason… he was great in bed. "I enjoy having my intellect challenged every once in a while."

"I'm not stimulating enough for you?" Mike asked playfully.

"No, you're not," Severus answered truthfully. He turned around and glared at the slightly younger man. "For Merlin's sake, put some clothes on." He pushed passed Mike and went to the door. "I may be a while. Feel free to leave." With that, he left the room and went up to Albus' office, his robes billowing angrily behind him.

As he opened the door, he found Albus reading Witch Weekly and sipping on a cup of tea.

"Ah, Severus," Albus said enthusiastically. "I was beginning to wonder. Would you like some tea?" Albus was an old wizard with sparkling white hair and twinkling blue eyes. His hair and beard was so long that he could have tucked them both into his belt if he felt so inclined. Today he was wearing dark purple robes with little sparkling stars all over them. Severus never understood the man's taste in robes, but said nothing.

"No," Severus said flatly. "I came here to play chess."

Albus chuckled lightly and put his magazine aside. "Quite right!" he said cheerily, moving to sit in front of a very strange chessboard. This board was arranged in three tiers, each one smaller than the last. It looked more like some kind of warped statue than it did like a chessboard. Severus sat down across from Albus and eyed the board suspiciously.

"What kind of chessboard is this?" he asked with annoyance.

"I saw it in a Muggle film once," Albus said happily. "I think it was called 'Star Trek'. I saw it and I've always wanted to try it."

Severus shook his head in bemusement. He never would understand the eccentric old man. "How are we supposed to play this?" he asked.

"We can make up rules as we go!" Albus replied happily. He waved his wand and the pieces arranged themselves on the board. It took nearly an hour for the two men to agree on a set of rules that made some sense, and then they began to play. Severus thought he had the upper hand when Albus took his queen.

"How did you do that?" Severus asked in disbelief.

Albus waved his hand dismissively. "Tell me about Mike," he said instead of answering.

"Mike is slowly becoming the bane of my existence," Severus replied dryly.

Albus chuckled. "I thought Harry Potter was the bane of your existence."

Severus groaned and glared at Albus. "You are not funny," he said with disdain.

"Of course not," Albus replied. "I never said that I was."

"Well, as it is…" Severus started. He stopped speaking as a large snowy owl flew into the open window and around the room. She dropped a letter on Albus' lap and then continued to fly about in aggravation. "Is that Potter's owl?" Severus asked as he watched the bird flying.

"It is," Albus replied. His voice was suddenly grave as his eyes passed over the letter.

"What does it say, Albus?" Severus asked.

"It seems that our young Mr. Potter is in danger," Albus replied.

"That's surprising," Severus said sarcastically.

Albus ignored him. "His uncle claims that Harry is in pain and they don't know what's causing it. He insists that someone comes to help."

"He's probably overreacting."

"I don't think so." Albus stood from his seat and walked over to his desk, taking out a fresh sheet of parchment and scribbling a reply. He rolled it up and handed it to Potter's owl. "Take this back to Harry's uncle," he told the bird, stroking her feathers gently. "Harry will be fine, don't worry."

Potter's owl hooted as she flew out of the window.

Albus turned, looking at Severus contemplatively.

Severus didn't like that look at all. He had seen it before and he knew what Albus was going to say. "No, Albus," he said sternly. "I refuse to let that child interfere with my peaceful summer."

"Oh, come now, Severus," Albus said offhandedly. "It won't be that much of a task. All you have to do is go there and check on him. You won't be there for more than twenty minutes."

"That will be twenty minutes too long," Severus said coldly. He leveled a glare at Albus knowing that it would have no effect.

"He needs help, Severus," Albus said, suddenly sounding stern. "I'm not asking you to go. I am telling you that you are the only one who can help him. You're going tomorrow. I've already told them to expect you."

Severus groaned and stood up, wondering how he always let Albus get the better of him. He walked to the door, making sure to slam it on his way out. He could hear Albus laughing through the thick wood.

He stormed back to his rooms angrily and began to pack potions into his waist belt. Who knew what Potter had gotten himself into this time? The insolent brat was always looking for ways to get more attention than he already received. 'I hope he's not expecting the same from me,' Severus thought as he carefully laid out the belt on the table. 'I will do what Albus sent me there to do and then I am leaving. I cannot believe that he is invading my summer!'

"Is something wrong, Severus?" Mike asked, coming out of the bedroom.

"What are you still doing here?" Severus asked irritably. "I thought you were leaving."

"You want me to leave?" Mike asked with feigned hurt.

Severus turned around in exasperation and felt his jaw drop. Mike was wearing leather pants, a black spiked dog collar, and spiked bands around his wrists. Severus felt his resolve to get rid of Mike dissolve in lust. He crossed the room and pulled Mike into a searing kiss, his hands roaming over the blonde's firm backside. He dragged Mike to the bedroom and roughly pushed him onto the bed.

Mike purred softly, watching Severus remove his robe to reveal the formfitting black jeans and button down beneath. Severus kneeled over Mike and began to kiss him roughly. He moved down Mike's body and bit the nipples roughly, drawing moans from the young man.

"Severus," Mike gasped as Severus ripped off Mike's pants.

"What?" Severus asked, his voice thick with lust.

"Oh, please hurry," Mike pleaded.

After their brief tryst, Severus collapsed in exhaustion on top of his lover.

"I love you, Severus," Mike said tiredly. "You know that, right?"

"Hmm," Severus replied, rolling to the side. "I have to be up early tomorrow. Albus is sending me to check up on one of the insufferable brats."

"Oh," Mike said, sounding disappointed. "Good night then."

"Good night," Severus replied, closing his eyes.

TWO

The next morning found Severus in a sour mood. Mike had stormed out that morning claiming that Severus didn't appreciate him. He was right, but it still didn't help Severus' mood. He was upset that he had to check up on Potter as though he were a nanny or something as ludicrous and now his 'boyfriend' was upset with him, not that he wasn't trying to get rid of Mike, but that was beside the point. He wanted the relationship to end on his terms, not that it could be called a 'relationship'.

Around ten o'clock that morning, he Apparated to a car rental shop near Potter's home and rented a small family car. He hated driving with passion, but he wanted to be prepared for anything. As he pulled up to number 4 Privet Drive, he saw Potter looking out of his bedroom window. He seemed surprised to see a car pulling into his driveway. The curtain fell back over the window and Severus felt annoyance as he looked at the boy. He looked perfectly healthy.

He parked the car and walked up to the door, feeling silly in his Muggle clothes. He knocked, tapping his fingers impatiently as he waited for someone to open. The door opened and Severus found himself confronted with an ugly blonde woman.

"May I help you?" she asked, her Surrey accent coming through very strong, just like Potter's.

"I am here due to a request made on behalf of Harry Potter," Severus replied coldly.

"Oh, you must be his teacher," the woman replied, standing aside slightly. "Come in."

Severus stepped over the threshold and observed the quaint residence of the Boy-Who-Lived. There were stairs right in front of the door and a kitchen to the left. On the right was a living room. Severus could make out a greenhouse just passed the kitchen.

"Is Potter here?" he asked coldly.

"Oh, of course he is," the woman replied a bit uncertainly. "Have a seat in the living room and I'll collect him for you."

Severus sat down on the flowery couch and waited impatiently for Potter to come down so he could question him and leave.

"Sir!" the woman called from upstairs.

Severus groaned in frustration. Potter was being difficult on purpose, he was sure.

"Sir, please come help me!" the woman called again. She had a note of panic in her voice.

Severus got up and ran up the stairs, wondering what was causing her distress. When he reached the room she was in, he was confronted with an unexpected scene.

Potter was doubled over on the floor, groaning in pain. He fell onto his side and seemed to be desperately trying not to scream.

Though Potter wasn't screaming, Severus knew the Cruciatus Curse when he saw it. He didn't understand how it was possible, but he cursed himself for not bringing the proper potions to help. He lifted Potter from the ground and placed him on the small bed in the room.

"I need you to stay with him," he said to the woman.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "I thought that you came to help!"

"I did, but I need to get a potion for him. I didn't bring it with me. I won't be gone more than ten minutes."

The woman nodded and watched as he ran down the stairs.

Severus ran to the Apparition Point, three blocks away from Potter's house and Apparated to Hogsmeade. He ran up the path to the castle and down to his private rooms. He went into his office and opened a small cabinet with a muttered spell ("Aperire!"), and removed a tiny vial of metallic blue potion. He almost closed the cabinet but then decided to take three more vials of the potion just in case. He locked the cabinet again, ran back to Hogsmeade, and Apparated back to Little Whinging. As he entered the house again, he found the woman still sitting by Potter's bed, a bucket by her side.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said when she saw him coming up the stairs. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

"I told you that I would come back," Severus replied with irritation. "I never go back on my word, now move aside." He practically shoved the woman out of the way and sat next to Potter on the bed. Potter was pale, sweaty and shaking slightly, his breathing a little bit labored. Severus was pleased to note that the boy was conscious.

"Can you move, Potter?" he asked.

"I think so," Potter said weakly, struggling to sit. Severus put his arm under Potter's back and helped him to sit up. He took out one of the vials and pulled the cork.

"Drink this potion, Potter," he said, holding the potion up to Potter's mouth.

Potter jerked away from it. "What is it?" he asked.

Severus felt a surge of irritation roll through him. "It's poison," he replied.

Potter looked at him like he had grown another head.

Severus almost chuckled, but not quite. "It'll help the pain, Potter," he said coldly. "Unless you'd rather suffer. Either way, I think I can live with your choice."

Potter attempted a scowl, but the pain on his face made the expression utterly ridiculous. He drank the potion and then lay back on the bed.

"I'm going to talk to your guardian, Potter," Severus said.

"She's my aunt," Potter said distractedly.

"You're aunt then," Severus corrected. "Just try to rest." He then got up and walked out of the room, gently guiding Potter's aunt with him. He closed the door slightly, but not all the way, unsure of how Potter would react to the potion.

"What is your name, woman?" Severus asked when they were in the corridor.

"Petunia," the woman replied nervously.

"Very well," Severus said. "I want to know how long this has been going on."

"This is the first time that it's happened during the day," Petunia said. "It usually happens when he's sleeping. He wakes up screaming so loud he could wake the dead."

"You didn't answer my question," Severus said irritably.

"It's been happening since he came home for the summer," Petunia said quickly.

Severus added in his head. That meant that Potter had been suffering from the Cruciatus Curse every night for the past three weeks and had said nothing. He would still be suffering alone if he family had not seen it fit to contact Albus about the problem. What was wrong with Potter that he didn't ask for help even when it was so obvious that help was needed? He was suffering from an abundance of idiotic Gryffindor selflessness. Severus had never seen anything like it.

"What's happening to him?" Petunia asked, her concern showing in her eyes.

"It's a curse," Severus replied.

Petunia looked frightened. "Doesn't that mean there's a bad wizard around here?" she asked.

"No," Severus replied. "Potter is magically bound to the Dark Lord through that scar of his."

"Dark Lord?" Petunia asked, looking even more frightened.

"He didn't explain this to you?" Severus asked.

"He said something about some man called Voldemort," Petunia replied.

Severus was impressed with her for a moment before he reminded himself that she didn't realize how dangerous the Dark Lord was.

"He is the Dark Lord," he said shortly. "The curse is called Cruciatus."

"What does that mean?" Petunia asked.

Severus sighed and resigned himself to explaining the Unforgivable Curses to this woman. "There are three curses in the wizarding world that are absolutely forbidden. Using them will earn you an instant life sentence in prison. They are called the Unforgivable Curses for that reason. The first is called Imperio. It comes from the Latin, imperito, which means 'to be in command'. This curse allows the caster to be in complete control of the victim's actions.

"The second curse is called Avada Kedavra which was taken from an ancient language called Aramaic. It is the killing curse that was used to kill Potter's parents. The last curse, the one afflicting your nephew, is called Cruciatus. It comes from the Latin, crucio, which means 'to torture or torment'. It causes extreme pain unlike anything you could ever imagine."

"But how can he feel that just because of his scar?" Petunia asked, confused.

Severus sighed again. He hated dealing with Muggles. "Avada Kedavra is the curse that gave Potter his scar. He is the only known person to have ever survived that particular curse. Unfortunately, the failed curse formed a connection between Potter and the Dark Lord. Any time the Dark Lord casts Crucio on anyone, Potter feels it as though he were the victim."

"Why did this Voldemort kill Harry's parents to start with?" Petunia asked, her eyes misting over slightly.

"He wanted to kill Potter," Severus replied. "Lily and James died to protect him."

"But then, why did he want to kill Harry?"

"No one knows," Severus said. Except for Albus, and he's not telling anyone about that, he added silently.

"So, will that potion you gave him make it stop?" Petunia asked.

"No. It was simply a potion to negate the after effects of Crucio. There is no counter curse to make it stop completely. I think it would be best if Potter came with me."

"Oh no," Petunia complained. "But we've only just started to get to know him."

Severus raised his eyebrow at her. "You've been living with him for fourteen years," he said dryly.

"I'm afraid that we weren't very kind to him," Petunia replied.

"Explain," Severus demanded.

"Perhaps you could join me for some tea?" Petunia asked. The two headed down to the kitchen and Petunia put a pot on the stove to boil. Severus listened intently as she told him Potter's life story.

He couldn't believe when she told him that Potter's bedroom used to be a cupboard. He felt anger rising in his chest and had to remind himself that he hadn't treated the boy any better, though it didn't help, as he wasn't related to the boy. When she finished telling him about Potter's childhood, Severus said, "I want to see this cupboard."

Petunia nodded gravely and led him out into the entrance hall. There was a door under the stairs, which she opened. Severus peered inside and found that this space was tiny. He couldn't believe that Potter had spent the first ten years of his childhood with these people locked away in this tiny cupboard. It was no wonder the boy was smaller than all of the boys his age.

"I have heard enough of this," he said coldly. Petunia was now crying openly.

"I never thought about it as abuse," she said. "Vernon said that it would squash the magic out of him and make him normal."

"Fool Muggle!" Severus snapped. "You cannot 'squash' the magic out of someone! You either have it or you do not!" He pointed up the stairs as he spoke. "That child probably saved your worthless life the night his parents died, and look at the thanks he got from you! I'm taking him with me and you'll be lucky to ever see him again!" He turned and walked up the stairs to Potter's room.

Potter was on the bed, facing away from the door.

Severus walked in and quietly walked across the room to wake Potter up. To his surprise, Potter began to speak to him.

"It figures that they would send you," he said. "They knew I would probably need a potion or something."

"Yes well," Severus said. "You do have away of depleting Poppy's potions supplies." He couldn't believe he just made a joke with Potter.

"You know, Mum and Dad died because of me," Potter said quietly.

"That's nonsense," Severus said sharply.

"No, it's not," Potter replied. "The last thing Mum said was 'not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead.' "

"What are you talking about, Potter?" Severus asked. How could the boy actually remember what his mother said in her dying moments? He'd only been a year old!

"I remember," Potter said. "It's what I hear whenever a Dementor gets too close."

Severus swallowed and came closer to the bed. "Are your things packed?" he asked.

Potter nodded slightly. "I packed them earlier, when the letter came. I thought you might want me back at Hogwarts."

Severus looked around and saw Potter's trunk and wand in the room. On the table was his owl, sitting quietly in her cage, watching everything critically. Severus lifted the trunk and took it to the car. He went back for the bird and then for Potter. He lifted Potter off of the bed and became slightly concerned at the boy's weight.

"Haven't you been eating, Potter?" he asked with annoyance. The last thing he needed was to find out that Potter had an eating disorder.

"I can't keep anything down," Potter replied. "The pain makes my stomach queasy."

"I see," Severus replied, kicking himself for not remembering that particular side effect of Crucio.

"You will let him write to us, won't you?" Petunia asked as he passed her on his way to the car.

"If he wishes," Severus replied. He opened the door and gently placed Potter on the back seat, placing the strongest protection spell he knew on the boy before getting in the driver's seat.

Potter slept for most of the train-ride back to Hogwarts and Poppy insisted on keeping him in the infirmary until he was strong enough to explain his problem. Severus didn't think that would happen any time soon.

NOTES: I would like to take this moment to thank my reviewers.

Shadow Eclipse: Thank you for your support. You need not worry, as this is a completed work and so shall be updated daily, unless something happens that keeps me away from my computer.

Skimmie: Thank you. I hope that Severus is sufficiently in character for the time being.

Sliver of Melody: Thank you.

Ktoddhim: It's nice to see one of my old readers about. Not that you're old, but you know what I mean. 'The New Threat' is saved in part on my hard drive. 136 pages, to be more specific. I will consider reposting that series, but if I do, they will all have to be re-worked to make them flow better. With that in mind, it may be a while before they are posted. Thanks for your review.

Lirael Goldenhand: The idea of nice Dursleys came to me when I thought 'Why can't the Dursleys change?' I was tired of the used up concept of Harry being beaten to a bloody pulp in most fan fiction, so I decided to go to the other extreme. I'm glad you liked it. As for the twitching, might I recommend one of Snape's potions? I hear they're the best.

Smurff: I hope Severus lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review.

Weirkat: As I said above, it's nice to see one of my old readers bout. Once again, not that your old, but you know what I mean. I'm glad you like this story well enough to read it again. Small changes will be made here and there, but for the most part, it's the same. Nothing earth shattering, if you know what I mean. Thanks for your review.