They had to change trains once during the trip to London. Harry made sure to keep a firm grip on Severus's hand so he wouldn't lose the little boy in the crowd, but Severus wasn't prone to running away.

Harry bought them both a packet of crisps and a drink before they boarded their next train.

-Meanwhile, in Lord Voldemort's lair-

"Master, Master!"

"Why are you running into my presence uninvited? Cru…"

"Master, I saw Harry Potter and the traitor!"

"Cru…you what?"

"They're on the train, headed to London, master. I slipped out when they changed trains and came to you to request backup, master."

Voldemort looked pleased, but Malfoy raised an elegant eyebrow.

"What were you doing on…Muggle transportation, Quincy?"

The Death Eater squirmed, but Voldemort waved it off.

"Don't bother with the usual lies, Quincy, I know you're a halfblood."

The Death Eater paled and started sweating. "My lord…"

Voldemort stopped him. "But, you have always served me well and this information is priceless. And your desire to rid yourself of your Muggle ancestry is admirable. Malfoy, make sure he faces no hardship from the rest of you over this."

"Thank you, my lord, thank you," Quincy managed.

Voldemort nodded curtly.

"It's fortunate you were in the Muggle world today, but I expect PROPER wizard conduct from now on, Quincy. And get a team together. I want Snape and Potter. Preferably alive."

Malfoy and Quincy moved off quickly, glad to have found their cruel master in such a forgiving mood.

-93, Diagon Alley, an hour later-

The clock moved. The outer ring still was on 'travelling' but the inner had now settled on 'under attack'.

-London, King's Cross-

"Are we nearly there, Harry?" Severus asked, tired and cranky from travelling.

"Yes, Sevvy. Come here, we're gonna get into this alley to put our glamours on before going into the wizarding world."

Just as Harry pulled out his wand to start casting the glamours, they heard a familiar voice.

"Well, well, Mr Potter. Into childcare these days, are you?"

Lucius Malfoy sneered at them both, two death eaters behind him.

Lucius walked up to Severus, and took his chin roughly.

"My, my, you do make a nice child, Snape."

Severus wrenched his face free from the man's grasp and hid behind Harry's legs.

"Leave him alone, Malfoy," Harry spat, while his eyes took in the surroundings.

"Just because you say so? Well…I'll just have to say…CRUCIO!"

Malfoy whipped out his wand and aimed the curse at the boy. Harry grabbed Severus and got them both out of the way.

"Still torturing children, I see, Malfoy," he taunted, "Expelliarmus! Protego!"

Four hexes were deflected from the shield, but the Expelliarmus didn't do much good. Malfoy frowned.

"Let's just make this easy on both of us, Potter. Come with me. The Dark Lord has ordered you alive. He will wish for you to join him. And Severus…well, that's why he changed him in the first place. To show him the 'tender mercies' of the Light side. Don't you have…experience…with that too, Potter?"

Harry hesitated.

"Ah, already considering a glorious future in the service of the greatest wizard ever, aren't you?" Lucius smiled.

"Well…" Harry said, pulling Severus behind him, "Let's see. I'll send in my application to join you when…ooh, let's say, when Hell freezes over? That soon enough for you?"

"Insolent child!" the Death Eater hissed, "Stupify!"

"Progeto! Stupify, Stupify," Harry shouted suddenly, catching the two others off guard.

"You will pay for this, Potter! Sectumsempra!"

The hex, aimed at Severus, sliced Harry badly when he jumped in front of the terrified child.

"Run, Sevvy," he whispered.

The boy didn't move.

"Bindus!" Malfoy yelled, and Harry fell to the floor, wresting against his bonds.

"Well, Potter," Malfoy hissed, his eyes gleaming, "My lord DID say 'preferably alive'. He'll be happy enough I bring back the brat alive. So…Avada…"

"PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!"

Severus stared in shock as the spell he had uttered hit the scary man who wanted to hurt Harry. He started crying. There was blood all over Harry and Harry was looking so pale!

Harry looked up and smiled. "Well done, Sevvy, very well done. I'm…so proud…of you…"

"NOOOOO, Harry, noooo, don't die, Harry, don't die," Severus sobbed, trying to shake Harry, who had closed his eyes and didn't respond.

-93, Diagon Alley-

Hermione entered with a bag full of shopping when she heard the clock spinning. Looking at it, she paled.

"FRED! GEORGE! ROOOON!"

-The Bungalow-

Remus walked up to Molly, handing her a hot coffee.

"How's Bill doing with those wards?"

"They're nearly done, he says. At least the ones that keep us out."

"You're right, wouldn't do to disable them all."

Molly peered at the house.

"I haven't seen a sign of those boys in hours…" she said, worried.

"MOM! The ward is down!"

Remus dropped his mug.

"Good, now, we need to be quick. Molly, Arthur, we go round the back. The rest take the front."

After a quick move, they reached the house. Entering was easy; the doors weren't locked.

The place was suspiciously empty. Arthur did a quick scan of the house; no one.

"They're gone," he said, defeated.

Remus groaned. "The portkey. They had James's portkey."

Molly ignored the tears streaming down her face. "We lost them…again," she sobbed, "who knows where they are now?"

-Harry and Sevvy-

Severus sobbed helplessly, Harry wasn't moving, and the scary men would wake up and kill Harry. If Harry wasn't dead already.

"No, Harry, please don't be dead…" he whimpered.

Suddenly he heard footsteps, and before he knew it, four redheaded people stood by them.

"Dear sweet Merlin, what happened here?"

"No time, Ron, we have to get Harry stabilized. Hold his mouth open, I need to put in a bloodreplenishing potion."

A hand took Harry's chin and wrenched his mouth open while another red headed person, who looked like a copy of the first one, cast a spell and the cut on Harry's chest disappeared.

The only woman of the four took his arm.

"Why don't you stand over here, and give them some room to work," she said kindly, "are you hurt? What happened?"

Severus rubbed his dirty fists in his eyes, trying to dry his tears.

"They…sob attacked us…sob…Harry called that one…sob Malfoy and he…sob hurt Harry and now Harry won't move…" the high, childish voice reached hysterical proportions.

Hermione knew that this was supposed to be their fearsome potions master, but she couldn't help herself. He was just a small child now, a very scared and upset child. She took him in her arms and cuddled him.

"Harry's going to be fine," she reassured him, "He'll be ok, we'll take good care of him. Ron!"

The third red headed boy walked over.

"He's too heavy for me to carry back to the Alley," she said, "you take him. Fred and George are Apparating with Harry, I guess?"

Severus looked at the tall boy with some distrust. "Harry…"

Hermione soothed him. "Harry is coming too, but we can't apparate yet. We go on foot. Ron will carry you."

Severus nodded, very tired, and he just held his arms up to the boy to be lifted. The boy looked at him in surprise, before picking him up and putting him on his shoulder.

"It's not far," he said to the boy.

Severus nodded. He was sitting really high now and he was glad he didn't have to walk anymore. If these were Harry's friends, as he thought since they were apparently called Ron and Hermione, then maybe they weren't as scary as he had thought.

He looked over his shoulder, and saw the two the same looking men disappear with Harry.

He sighed, deep and sad, and rested his head on the red mass of hair beneath his chin.