He felt like crying, and the only reason he didn't was because Father had told him he wasn't allowed. He had walked for hours and hours until his feet hurt badly. Finally he had ended up in the Muggle world. Spotting a truck parked somewhere down the road, he decided to climb in, hiding behind some empty boxes. He would be safe there. He just needed to sit down for a while…
Severus woke up again and immediately panicked. The truck was MOVING! It was driving along some road and he couldn't get out! His breathing hitched and he thought he would faint, but then he pulled himself together. This wasn't as bad as it seemed, he thought.
The truck would be going somewhere, most likely a city. In the city he could hide, and there would be plenty of opportunity to steal food.
So hours later, when the truck stopped in front of a store, Severus hid behind the boxes. The truck driver opened the door and looked inside.
Severus curled up in the back, in as tight a ball as he could. He could feel his heart pound in his throat…
The man left the door open and crossed the street to a store, and entered. Severus carefully climbed out of the truck, and began to run.
He wondered where he was. A clock in a church tower told him it was nearly dinner time and he was so hungry!
Wondering, he had walked into what apparently was a shopping centre. There was a fruit stand in front of an open shop. He smiled to himself. Waiting until the shop was quite busy, he walked passed and quietly pocketed some fruit before walking on.
He hadn't reached the end of the street when a hand reached out and grabbed him by the collar, turning him around.
Frightened, he looked into the emerald green eyes of a teen with jet black hair.
Hogwarts.
"I…I…just don't know what to say!" Minerva raged, pacing the room frantically, "I'm so angry! How can he do that? How could he…Ooh, I could just kill him!"
Pomona Sprout nodded, but Poppy Pomphrey sighed.
"I know it's bad, Minerva, but have you seen Albus lately? I've been pestering him for weeks to come see me for a check up."
"Do you think he's ill?" the Herbology professor asked.
"I think we need to call an Order meeting," the mediwitch said.
Just two hours later, all Order members except Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore himself were seated in Grimmauld place.
"…and that's when I decided to call Poppy and Pomona," Minerva ended her tale of recent events.
The other members were dumbstruck. This was not what they had ever thought their leader capable of.
"I think Albus is having a nervous breakdown," Poppy said softly, "and Severus being de-aged was a triggering event. He needs help."
"Yes, yes, of course," Molly Weasley nodded, "But Severus! The poor child needs to be found!"
"ALBUS! We need help!" Mad Eye Moody stumbled through the floo, followed by Arabella Figg.
"Albus is not here," Minerva said shortly, "And won't be for some time. What is the problem?"
"Harry," Arabella sniffed, "He is gone."
"WHAT?" Molly Weasley paled, then went red, and finally burst into tears from shock.
"I never saw him leave the house," Mad Eye gruffly admitted, "But Dung was in the Leaky Cauldron today and swears he saw the kid before he disappeared under that cloak of his. I checked, and saw Vernon Dursley sitting in his car outside, so I thought our threats had worked and the Muggle had taken him shopping for his school supplies. But when the car returned to the house, Harry was not with him. He's nowhere in the Alley either, I didn't see him anywhere, with or without cloak."
"So Harry has run off as well?" Poppy softly asked.
"Looks like it," Moody nodded.
"Good for him," Fred said,
"He should have done that ages ago," added George. Their mother immediately rounded on them.
"Do you have any idea…" George said forcefully at his mother,
"How Harry is treated there?" Fred finished, glaring.
"He even told Dumbledore a bit about it. We heard it…oh, stop glaring Mum…and he still sent him back!"
"But now he's missing, and Severus as well! And Albus is ill. What are we going to do?"
For the first time, Arthur Weasley spoke up.
"It's our own fault," he said softly, "We kept heaping more and more things on Albus. He has a school to run, a war to lead, and practically the entire Ministry too. I say we take advantage of this unfortunate series of events to evaluate our own actions. Meanwhile, yes, we need to find the boys. I suggest we form search teams."
"One for Harry, and one for Severus," Minerva added.
"Who will lead the search for Harry?" Remus Lupin stepped forward.
"I will. Ron and Hermione know him best, I want them on my team. Molly, Tonks?"
"With you, Remus," Tonks said.
"Of course I will help," Molly added, and went to find the teens.
"Arthur?" But the man shook his head.
"No, Remus, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to lead the search for Severus. I'm sure even as a six year old he's clever enough…"
Minerva chuckled a bit. "Oh yes. You should have heard him."
"But he is still a six year old child. Pomona, Poppy, are you with me? And you, Filius?"
All three nodded.
"I need to go back to Hogwarts," Minerva said ruefully, "or I would have joined you. But I have to take over now, and I still have to decide what to do about Albus."
Arthur nodded. "Mad Eye, you're our best strategist now. Can you handle Order affairs for the moment?"
"Sure thing, Arthur. Kingsley and I will make sure the Ministry doesn't catch wind of this either."
"Excellent. Good luck, then, all. Let's bring our boys home soon."
York.
Severus wriggled and squirmed as he was marched back to the fruit shop. He knew yelling wouldn't do any good. He'd be caught as a runaway and taken back.
The man entered the shop, and called the shopkeeper. One look and Severus quietly handed over the fruit.
"Now, apologise," the man added.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, staring at his feet.
The shopkeeper, a large man, rolled up his sleeves.
"Thank you sir. I'll show him what we do with little thieves around here…"
Severus shivered, but stood up straighter. He felt the calculating look the man who caught him on his head, but he swallowed and tried to keep still.
"You'll do no such thing," he suddenly heard the man say to the shopkeeper, "I'm taking him home and I'm sure our parents are more then capable of disciplining him. Now, you have the fruit back, and I'm sure ten pounds is more then enough as compensation for my little brother's stupidity."
Severus felt a swat to the back of his head at the last words, but only a light one; the man wasn't trying to hurt him, only placate the shopkeeper, he realized.
"Well, yes," the shopkeeper grumbled, taking the money, and glaring at Severus.
"Good. Thank you for your…understanding," the man nearly sneered, before he took Severus' hand in his, holding it firmly.
"Come with me," he said in such a stern voice that Severus didn't even consider trying to run off.
A few streets away, the man pulled him in a quiet alley and kneeled before him, taking his chin.
"Where are your parents?
He shrugged.
"Runaway, eh?"
Severus didn't respond.
"And a wizard, too," the man added.
He knew. Oh….his robes, Severus realized. He looked around frantically for a way out, but the man smiled at him.
"Don't worry, I understand," he said softly.
Severus got his first good look at the man. He wasn't that old; it was hard to guess how old people were, but this one looked like he was a proper grown-up yet.
"Dirty, torn," the man continued, disturbing his thoughts, "no, this will not do. Are you wearing pants and a shirt underneath those robes?"
Severus nodded.
"Good. Scourgify," the man waved his wand over the robes, removing the dirt.
Suddenly Severus found that instead of his robes, he was wearing a Muggle jacket as the man transfigured it.
"Better," the man said, "Now, come on."
"Where…what are you going to do to me?" Severus asked. He didn't understand it. The man had made him return the fruit, but he had protected him from the shopkeeper and he had even paid for him. But he hadn't let him go…was he going to take him to the Police? Father used to threaten him with that.
"Well, I made you return that fruit you stole, but that doesn't change the fact that you are probably very hungry, right?"
Severus nodded, just as his stomach grumbled.
"I thought so," the man smiled, "And I was just about to go eat something myself. Since I robbed you of your dinner, why don't you join me for mine?"
The man was going to feed him? This was a very weird person. Why would he do that? What would he demand in return?
But his hunger overcame his reservations, and he nodded.
The man took his hand again, and soon they entered a small restaurant.
"Can I help you, young man?" a man dressed black pants and a white shirt asked. He wore a black apron, that was funny, Severus thought.
"A table for two, please," the man said, "and could you bring the menu right away? My brother tells me he is very hungry," they both smiled at him.
Soon, he was seated at a table, with a glass of juice in front of him, in a quiet corner, behind a large aquarium. Severus looked at the fish.
"Here," the man said, buttering a piece of bread that was on the table in a basket and handed it to him.
"That'll keep you from fainting until our order arrives. Now, my name is Harry."
He chewed bread, deliberately slow so he had time to think. If he told the man his name, he might bring him back to either his parents or Hogwarts, and he really wanted neither. But the man had been kind to him…just his first name?
"I'm Severus," he finally said.
Harry's eyes opened wide. "Severus Snape?" he asked.
Scared because Harry had guessed it, Severus nodded with his eyes fixed on the menu.
"Yes, sir," he confirmed.
Harry Potter dropped the knife he was using on the butter dish with a loud 'Clang'.