Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. All I own is my original characters and settings that will come up later is the story.

I am rewriting/adding parts of this story to improve it and get rid of inconsistencies. If you see any let me know. Guys, there are so many inconsistencies in this story that it's not even funny. Why didn't anyone tell me? Oh well. More have been erased at this point. Tell me if you still find some in these rewritten chapters.

Another chapter rewritten and extended. Tell me if it's improved if you've read it before. And if you're a 'virgin', so to speak, just drop a line and tell me how it's going.

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The well-lit, tiled hallway was empty. "No!" Potter pulled away, smacking away Lupin's hands as the man tried to grab him, and slammed against the wall.

"Harry what are you doing?" Lupin moved to grab him again.

Potter's eyes darted around the hallway. He pushed himself into the window alcove and squished into the corner. "You're with him! You're helping him! Never safe. Never free."

Lupin shook his head and turned to face him. "What--Severus! The charm's gone."

"What?" His hands had returned to their sallow whiteness.

The boy was mumbling. His head shot up and he locked eyes with him. "You can't have me!" He took off down the hallway.

Severus pulled out his wand. "Imobulus."

Potter's feet froze mid run and he fell forward onto his face.

"Harry!" Lupin scurried over to where he fell and dropped to the floor. He turned Potter over and laid his head in his lap, brushing the hair off his face apparently checking for injuries. Who cares? It was the boy's own fault. He was the one that decided to run. He slipped the wand back into his sleeve.

Strong fingers pinched his ear and yanked him sideways. "Severus Snape! How dare you freeze that boy. Reverse that spell now."

Severus pushed against her arm. "Biara get off. The boy was running off, I--"

Biara shook her arm wrenching his ear. "I do not care. And why exactly was he running? What did you do?" Her black eyes locked on his.

He pushed her arm off and moved back. "Why do you always think it's something I did?"

She planted her fists on her hips. And shook her black hair to the side. "Because it always is. Now reverse that spell."

He pulled his wand back out of his sleeve. "Reverso."

Potter relaxed in Lupin's grasp, pulling in deep breaths, and sprang away from him, slamming against the wall. His eyes locked on Biara. You could almost see the gears in his head turning as he assessed the new threat.

Biara let her arms drop to her side. "Thank you. Now what did you do? Some kind of spell I suppose. It always is with you. What was it?"

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and mumbled the answer as quietly and indistinguishably as he could.

Biara snorted and threw her arms in the air. "Concealment charm? Well no wonder. They won't work here. None of the spells, charms, potions, or anything else that hides who you are from others will work within the boundaries of the school. It's one of the protections here. The students, not to mention the rest of us, deserve to know whom they're associating with." Potter moved back into the corner of the window alcove, arms wrapped around him. Biara walked over to him. She stopped before entering the alcove. "Inconsiderate, stupid men." She smiled and let her arms hang non-threateningly from her sides. "Hello. I'm the headmistress here. My name is Biara Richardson. And your name is?"

Potter shifted from foot to foot and chewed on his lip. "Ha--Harry."

Biara nodded slightly. "Well it's nice to meet you Harry. I believe these foolish men behind me wish you to stay here with us for a while. Is that what you want?"

He looked around and stared at the tiled floor. "I--I don't--I don't know where I am."

Biara glared at him over her shoulder. "They didn't tell you?"

He shook his head and sniffed. "No."

She sighed. "Well. This is the Academy. It's a school for magically inclined persons like yourself who still want to live their normal lives. Muggle lives with magic if you will. You can look outside for yourself if you'd like. The little ones are out playing."

Potter shifted and turned slowly, keeping one eye on Biara. "They look happy."

Biara moved a few steps closer, stopping when Potter began to tense up. "Indeed they do."

Potter rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "Aren't they too young to do magic?"

Biara leaned against the wall. "Most of them have brothers, sisters, or parents who attend or teach here. So in the summer they come to play and maybe learn something. Though most of what they learn is theory. What is possible as opposed to learning how to do it."

He nodded and started chewing on his thumbnail. "Oh. That's nice. They learn something about magic before dumping them into it headfirst and expecting them to adjust."

Biara rested her hand on his shoulder. "That's the idea. In the summer it's very relaxed. Those who elect to stay can go to as many or as few classes as they wish. They can get help in a subject they were struggling with or they can spend time with their friends."

Potter squirmed under her fingers and then tensed his muscles. "That sounds nice."

Biara removed her hand and glanced back at them before focusing once again on Potter. "Do you know why they want you to be here?"

His fingers were white as they gripped his arms. "Yes. But they don't. Not really."

She looked back at them watching their reactions to his words. She's testing us. Trying to figure out if this is my idea of just getting the boy out of the way. She wants to know if I lied to her about what's going on. How very Slytherin of her. "They don't really want you to be here?"

Potter looked over and took a step toward her before looking back out the window. "No. They don't know what's wrong. And they won't. They can't make me." He started shaking.

Biara rubbed his arms and the tremors subsided. "That's all right. No one will make you do anything you don't want to do." She squeezed his arm before releasing him. "Would you like to stay here with us or go back to wherever you were?"

He took a deep breath and turned around looking straight at her. "I--I think I'd like to stay here. If I can."

"Of course you can." She turned back to them. She smoothed her hair back and pulled a band around it. "You have his things?"

Lupin pulled the trunk out of his pocket. "Here."

Biara sighed and gestured at him. "Enlarge it please. And I assume this rather ruffled and confused looking owl is yours Harry?"

Potter crouched next to the cage. "Are you all right Hedwig?" She hooted. He reached his finger through the bars and scratched her head.

Biara smiled and smoothed his hair. "Well we don't have many owls here as telephones are more convenient. We just a few in the barn for the occasional owl post. So you can put him in the barn or keep him in your room with you."

Potter pulled his fingers out of the cage. "I think she'd be happier in the barn."

She helped Potter to his feet. "Well then, we'll take her out and get her settled. Ah, Kevin and Marcus. How wonderful for you to volunteer to take Harry's things to his room."

The two boys that had stepped out of one of the classrooms laughed. One tucked strands of his brown hair behind his ears. "That was quite nice of us."

The redhead nodded and clapped the other boy on the shoulder. "Definitely. I think we'll have to reward ourselves later for being such wonderful people."

They walked up to either side of the trunk and each grabbed a handle. "Where are we taking it?"

"You don't have to." Potter stared at the floor, twisting his fingers in the hem of his shirt.

The redhead winked and smiled. "Don't worry buddy. That's where we were headed anyway. So which dorm, Mom?"

Biara smiled and pointed toward the doors a few classrooms down. "West wing, top floor, room sixteen. I do hope you can find it."

The brunette scratched his head and scrunched his nose. "I don't know. We've only lived there for three--"

"Four."

"Four years. We may need a sherpa." He shook his head sadly and the redhead nodded in agreement.

Biara scoffed and shooed them with her hands. "If you boys don't hurry you'll be late for lunch."

The brunette grimaced. "Ouch. Mom, you wound us. Have we ever been late for a meal?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. "Then go on."

The redhead saluted with his free hand and the boys turned and started marching down the hall. "Yes ma'am. Anything you say. You are the boss lady, the head honcho--"

"The big cheese." Their words faded as they went through a set of double doors to the stairs.

Severus cleared his throat and pressed his lips tight. "Mom?"

Biara walked over and smacked his arm. "Don't tease Severus, it's against your nature. Morganna refused to refer to me as Professor Richardson and mom just caught on. And stop smirking at me. I may be up there in years, but I have no doubt that I can still beat you in a fight. Now off you go."

Lupin spun toward her, jerking out of his stupor at the events going on around him. "But--"

"No buts. You were to bring him here. You have. Now it's my job to watch over him." She placed a hand on Lupin's arm as he opened his mouth again. "He will be safe here." She patted his hand. "Beyond whatever is wrong with him right at the moment he needs people who know nothing about him. No presuppositions. No one knows anything about Harry Potter here, and they only have the vague notion of Voldemort. Trust me."

Lupin clenched and unclenched his fists then bowed his head. "I understand."

Severus pulled a second box out of his pocket. "Let us go."

Biara chewed on her lip. "Severus?"

He flicked the box open and closed. "Yes?"

She sighed and made her way back over to him. She rested her hand against his chest. "Maybe someday you might come and stay long enough to actually talk to them."

He glanced at Lupin who appeared to be straining to listen in. "You know that it is--"

"She's six now. And sixteen in a few weeks." Biara twisted her fingers in the fabric of his shirt.

He coughed and loosened her fingers. "A few weeks?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes." She kissed his cheek. "And we have a lot to catch up on. It's been forever Severus."

He smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt. "I--I am aware of that. I will try and work something out. But I will not put you in more danger than your existence already creates. You've worked too hard to escape to ruin it for a few hours."

She smiled and squeezed his arm. "I would take the few hours. But you will do what you think is best as always. I'm sure I will be in touch about the boy."

He nodded and snapped the box open. He pulled out the ring. "Until then."

She stepped back and Lupin moved to join him. "Goodbye Severus. Be cautious."

"As always." Severus and Lupin touched the ring and vanished as he spoke the password.

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