Summary: After an unfortunate invasion of the Dursley household, it is decided that no place is safe enough for the Boy Who Lived. Drastic measures must be taken to ensure that Harry Potter receives the training and the security that are necessary to his survival. As he is shuttled off to an undisclosed location, Harry discovers not only a place where he can hone his wizarding skills to perfection, but an unexpected friend whose mysterious past and startling connections to his world may give the Order a new edge in the war against the Dark Lord.
A/N: To those of you who are reading this, bear with us here. This is our first fan fiction and we would like to thank you for succumbing to our realm of insanity for the time being. After reading this chapter you may in fact wonder how it has anything to do with our beloved Harry's well-being, but rest assured that all will be revealed in time.
The Path to Matsuro
Severus Snape let out a relieved sigh as he Apparated to the front gates of Hogwarts. Once again he was able to survive being summoned by Voldemort, yet not without injury. Severus' body shook with phantom pains from the lasting affects of the Cruciatus curse, the Dark Lord's favorite punishment.
He began stumbling towards the old castle with an odd sort of grace only he could manage. Hagrid's hut, with the Forbidden Forest behind it, came into Severus' somewhat hazy vision. He stopped momentarily and dropped his head to catch a breath. Never would he ask for assistance in this regard. Before Severus could resume the seemingly endless trek to his haven, a faint sound of crying pierced the otherwise silent night air.
Exhausted and in pain, Severus fought the overwhelming urge to ignore the noise. Cursing his bloody conscience the whole way, Severus limped into the unknown until a clearing was spotted ahead.
It was a full moon tonight, yet another reason he should not be here.
The clearing was eerily illuminated by the haunting blue glow of the moon, encasing a triad of bodies that lay motionless in the middle. He cautiously approached them, wand at the ready, though he need not have.
Severus let out another sigh, this one out of anger.
Two of them were dead while the third, a little girl no older than six, remained unscathed except for the obvious emotional scars she received during the night. She stared up at Severus with pleading yellow eyes, almost cat-like with their intensity.
He grunted and then muttered a quick spell, lifting the deceased bodies into the chilled air.
"Come," was all Severus said as he began to slowly wander back to Hogwarts, the little girl now silently trailing after him with surprising obedience.
0000000
"Severus, we cannot just leave her to rot in some dustbin," Minerva McGonagall, transfiguration professor at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, protested.
The man being admonished pursed his thin lips in a blatant display of annoyance. "Well, what do you propose we do with it? Heaven forbid we rid the world of one more child," he snapped.
"Not it, Severus, she. She is a young girl," Minerva once again attempted to explain.
Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore stood in the headmaster's office discussing the placement of the child. Said girl sat in one of the offered chairs, taking in the magical scenery with her curious eyes. They rested on the man who took her away from the bad place. She quietly slid off the over-stuffed chair and hesitantly walked over to Snape.
"I agree with Minerva on this matter, Severus," Dumbledore cut in, "it is in our best interest that we keep a close watch on the child." His twinkling eye held a promise, an unknown secret he wished to taunt the others with.
"And why is that?" Severus asked impatiently. The girl in question plopped onto the floor unceremoniously and started to rock back and forth in a peaceful manner. He looked down at her and sneered, earning him an uninterested blink from her direction. Minerva began to speak, glaring at Albus when he interrupted her once more with a gleam in his eyes, cautioning her not to say a word. She harrumphed and sat back down.
"Severus, she is troubled. It has been a very trying day for her. Since you have found her she hasn't spoken a word."
"Yes, for that I am most thankful."
A seething Minerva glowered at him, which caused Severus to smirk. How he loved to make people angry. Albus raised his weathered hand to stop the silent war before speaking again. "As I recall Severus, you were in dire need in the past at one point. Surely you know by now that leaving a child such as herself will only result in looking the wrong way for support."
"Like I said previously, what do you propose we do?" he inquired, this time purposely leaving out the 'it' he tagged the child as.
"Not we, Severus, but you. She will be under your watch," Albus cheerfully supplied.
"No, absolutely not."
"There is no room for discussion, my boy. You are the only one capable of getting through to her." Snape saw the irritating glimmer in the headmaster's stubborn stare. He wanted nothing to do with the child, but if it made his savior happy, then so be it.
"Of course, Albus, as you wish. She will no doubt be in my quarters?"
Dumbledore nodded and offered him a loving smile at which Severus growled. He then turned to the door to leave, but stopped when he noticed his lack of company. A small puff of air escaped his mouth as he huffed in irritancy and Severus grabbed her hand, thus dislodging her entire person from the floor, and continued his quick pace to the dungeons. Not a word was spoken the entire way.
He turned to her. "What is your name?"
No answer.
"How old are you?" No answer yet again, but she did raise six fingers.
"Will you behave and not bother me?" She nodded her head yes.
Snape had long ago dropped her soft hand from his icy one. Human contact was not a thing he favored much. The girl followed after him as a puppy would, causing him to smile inwardly at her willingness to obey. They reached his private quarters and stepped inside. Not but a moment later Severus reopened the door and grabbed the girl before walking into his room again. With three long strides he reached the couch, a soft black-leathered love seat, and elegantly dropped onto it with ease.
This was going to be one hell of a summer.
Little did Severus know that he would spend the entirety of his summer holiday urging the young girl to speak, for it appeared that she had taken a vow of silence after the tragedy. She stayed out of his way, reading children books that a house-elf so graciously provided, drawing pictures of herself and a little boy. Snape asked her who it was but she only shrugged.
"Kaida."
Severus lifted his head from the potions text he was previously perusing through and raised his brows in questioning.
"Kaida," she repeated.
It had been several weeks since that night in the forest. Severus still had yet to receive any personal information about the girl, including her name.
She padded softly towards his chair and placed a gentle hand hesitantly on his surprisingly warm knee. Once more she said the name, this time pointing to herself. Gathering his patience, Severus thumped his slender fingers on the table in subconscious rhythm.
"Your name is Kaida?" She nodded her head, almost imperceptibly, in agreement.
Severus gazed down at the child in scrutiny, slowly taking in the minimal hints of Japanese lineage. Her yellow eyes practically glowed in the dense light of his chambers and the slight slant of them amplified her feline features. Long, black hair, somewhat purple in sheen, cascaded down her back in a sleek waterfall.
He shuddered at the simple thought of being prolifically kind and soft spoken for the duration of the child's stay, yet it seemed as if there was no other choice.
"Can you tell me something about yourself, Kaida?"
The girl seemed to ponder this possibility for a moment, but then slowly looked toward her tiny feet. Somewhat mollified, Severus pressed on, trying to find words of encouragement to further entice vocalization from his young charge.
"Despite my bat-like appearance, I promise I have yet to bite a child."
His attempt at humour accomplished exactly what he intended: his remark elicited a small smirk from her usually expressionless face.
"What about a grown-up?" Kaida questioned quietly.
Unknowingly, Severus offered her a small twitch of the mouth.
"That decrepit old man with the impossibly long beard from upstairs, if you so dare to remember, had an unfortunate run-in with me a few days back, hence his mad behavior that you surely noticed."
Kaida frowned upon hearing this, whether it be from confusion or disapproval Severus could not be sure. After a few moments, she lifted her head and stared at him, emitting a single note of laughter.
Severus smiled inwardly. Perhaps this holiday would not be so utterly terrible after all.
A/N: Okay, folks, there you have it, the first chapter of our masterpiece. You like? You hate? All reviews are welcomed and any flames will happily be used to roast marshmallows. Thanks for the cooperation!