Update on the evil/bad Harry choice so far:

28 for bad Harry

11 for evil Harry

6 for good Harry

1 for depressed suicidal Harry

It's officially bad Harry. Now we'll just have to see if my sense of bad is your sense of bad. hehz. Again, don't be too disappointed if the way I portray it is different from how you think it should be.

Thanks to all reviewers: Quill, potter-man, Lady Lightning, ER, Rachel A. Prongs, Atari420, litine, Slim, klanek2004, kat-tak, SugarGirl, Coward in the Shadows, npetrenko, Porcelain Princess, no name, The Fierce Deity, God of War

Replies to reviews

Moonlight I love your stories! please update unicorn child soon, you must… *cant wait* I'm hoping that Dan can visit or something but haven't worked it out yet. Harry is 6 years (and 5 months) old and yes, he did send the letter to Dan.

Sarah no promises but I will try.

Nicky all will be revealed… soon. ;)

Fergiaj thank you. =) The name means 'person of light' if that's what you're asking.

Satoshi very interesting take, my sentiments exactly. =)

ADJ erm I'm afraid you won't find this so interesting after you've read this chapter =x I debated between snape and lucius at first. I know I'm not good at descriptive writing, the only time I ever wrote one, I got 24/40 I think. Gah. I'll try, but I'm not good at visualizing and describing things.

ReflectionsOfReality of course I won't ignore you, I love long reviews. =) Dark harry is cool, I kind of class it as 'bad', perhaps not the most… appropriate but well. *shrugs* About who is Luc, I've dropped hints but it's pretty ambiguous so no worries about seeming dense =)

Lita of Jupiter He may not be an OC… and yes Harry will be thrilled at the manor's extensive library. =)

blubb-blubb I think you read my mind.. partially anyway… hehz

Old Fawkes Thanks, I'll try.

Zaln I don't think Harry would be your sense of 'bad', will try to keep the clichés in mind when writing.

Kashke bingo! You hit the nail on the head. =)

Chapter 8

Contemplation and explanations

I walked out of the room, my feet automatically taking me down the corridors to my study. The fireplace blazed to light as I entered and crossed the room to pour a glass of red wine before settling down in a black leather armchair in front of the fire. I stared unseeingly at the flames, but the child's face, those green eyes, they wouldn't leave me be. I closed my eyes hoping to shut those images out, but more painful ones flitted pass my mind's eye.

I didn't want to remember.

Not Lily, not those happy times, not her death.

Never her death.

It was too painful.

I lifted the wineglass to my lips, needing it to calm my mind, dull my senses. But the swirling red liquid… blood… no. Blood tastes and smells metallic, not bittersweet. Blood is thicker, not clear. Blood is… on your hands.

Merlin, why won't the ghosts leave me alone? Must they always haunt me, even in daylight? Is there no rest for the weary?

I sighed tiredly and berated myself. This is no time for self-pity. Not when Lily's child is upstairs and awaiting explanations. I suppose I should think of what to say, where to begin.

If only those muggles hadn't sent him to the orphanage.

Orphanage. My expression darkened. How dare that wretched muggle filth abuse the child. Cruciatus is too good for him. Not that he would remember. Maybe I shouldn't have memory charmed him. But I can't risk the ministry finding out. I didn't escape Azkaban just to be thrown in there for one miserly Unforgivable.

The boy... he looks like James, except for those eyes that were so much like Lily's, yet not the same. His was guarded, with dark shadows that made his emotions harder to read. Lily's was always bright and sparkling, not hiding her thoughts, her feelings.

The boy is more Slytherin than he would have thought, though he supposed he would have to be sly and cunning to survive the orphanage. He smiled slightly as he remembered the boy's half-veiled warning while he was stroking the snake. It was a flimsy protection at best, there were other more subtle ways to kill or harm if he so wanted, such as potions and poisons. But he had to give the boy credit for trying.

It was a puzzle, and a surprise, that the boy known that he was a wizard. Either he was extremely perceptive or he already had the information beforehand. And the snake… quite an unusual 'friend' he keeps…

[Meanwhile]

Uncle? I have relatives? But I- he- what-

"Aah!" Harry squeaked in surprise as a strange creature with large bat-like ears and enormous eyes appeared out of thin air in front of him, interrupting his incoherent thoughts. He quickly backed away only to trip and land on the grey carpeted floor on his bottom.

The creature looked horrified and rushed forward, squeaking, "Mindy is sorry to startle young master, sir. Is young master all right?

Harry stared up at the creature from his position on the floor. Is this one of the dangerous creatures that the strange- no- his uncle was talking about?

//no, silly. That is a house-elf.// Sandy hissed amusedly, somehow answering his unspoken question.

Well ok, whatever that means. Harry got up and dusted himself. "Yes, I'm fine. Err.." Casting around for something to say, he finally settled on "I'm Harry. Pleased to meet you."

The creature looked relieved, then blinked.

Did I say something wrong? Harry wondered, but turned to glare at Sandy as she (there was no other way to describe the sort-of hissing he heard) laughed.

Her laugh turned into a discreet cough. //house-elves are not usually treated as an equal. She is just… in shock.//

Oh.

The creature recovered from her shock and bowed. "Master would like young master Harry to refresh himself before eating dinner, sir."

"You mean bathe?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh ok, thank you." Harry was disconcerted, not used to being treated so… respectfully.

The creature bowed again; then disappeared with a pop.

Wish I knew how she did it.

He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the bathroom, the cream colored marble tiles cool beneath his feet. After a quick shower and drying himself, he padded back to the room in a bathrobe that he had found hanging on the door. But his clothes were not there.

//Sandy?// Harry asked tentatively.

//yesss?// Sandy uncurled lazily.

//Did you see my clothes?//

//They disappeared. The house-elf probably took them.//

//What? What am I supposed to wear?// Harry was horrified.

// I think there's a set of clothes on your bed.//

Sure enough, there was a set of dark blue long pants and a matching T-shirt. The material was soft and smooth, not at all like the rough and scratchy texture of his old clothes. Harry slipped the bathrobe off and started dressing. He was about to finish dressing by pulling the shirt over his head when a soft hiss of in-drawn breath from the door caught his attention. He turned and saw the strange- no, his uncle he corrected himself absently- staring at him.

"You should take care of your back, dear. They are full of scars." A motherly voice said from behind.

Who-? The scars! He saw- Harry frantically pulled on the shirt, covering his back, hiding the scars from view, but it was too late. He watched apprehensively as his uncle strode forward, something akin to bridled fury in his eyes.

Harry cursed himself silently. He should have remembered to close the door before exposing his bare back. Should have remembered those scars that were left because of Keleman's whipping. Covering his unease, he smiled brightly and said, "Good evening. Is it dinner time already?"

The taller man ignored his question, instead asking, "Who did this to you?"

Bugger. "No one." Harry replied quickly. A bit too quickly.

His uncle narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing him.

"I got scratched badly by barb wires when I was crawling through a small hole. It was a dare." Harry improvised, and put on his best innocent look.

The man just looked at him wordlessly.

Can he stop doing that? Harry resisted the urge fidget under that unnerving stare. It's like he can see right through him.

"Let me take a look at them."

"NO!"

His uncle raised an eyebrow at his vehement response, his obsidian eyes glittering with… victory?

"I- I mean… those are old wounds, nothing you can do about them. I don't want to bother you." Harry protested weakly.

"Oh I assure you it's no bother at all. Besides, I might be able to remove them."

"Really?" Harry was curious to see what magic could do, although he was wary of that look on his uncle's face.

"But first I need to examine them."

It was not a choice, and Harry knew an order when he heard one. He removed his shirt slowly, reluctantly. And flinched as cool hands touched him, lightly tracing the scars.

"They seemed fairly recent, about three months old. If you want I can remove the scars."

"Yes please."

"But I need to know how they come about."

Harry could feel the intense gaze on him, willing him to tell the truth, but he only repeated, "I got scratched by barb wires."

A deep sigh. "Harry, barb wires scratches should be of the same direction, unlike the criss-crossing scars on your back. Those looked like you were whipped."

Harry tensed, and said nothing. Neither denying nor admitting, but it was answer enough for one experienced in interpreting body language and silences.

I stared at the stiff back of the boy in front of me, seeming so vulnerable, so distrustful. Well, he would talk when he is ready. But even now I know who did it. And he would pay. "You can trust me. I would not hurt you." I said gently, and then briskly muttered, "Deliquesco cicatrix."

A soft blue light spread over the scarred back, slowly mending the uneven lines of skin, smoothing out the scars so that they leave no trace. Harry's back was unblemished when the healing was complete and the blue glow slowly faded away.

"Thank you." It was so soft that I almost missed it.

I nodded curtly and said, "You must be hungry. I came to fetch you for dinner."

Harry put on his shirt and looked to me questioningly. I had initially ordered to dine in the dining hall but now it seems too far away, too big for only two. "But it's late. I'll have food sent up. Mindy?"

The house-elf appeared immediately. "Yes, master?"

"We'll eat here."

"Yes, sir." She vanished with a slight 'pop' and plates of food appeared on a small table that were not there before, together with 2 chairs.

I watched the boy's amazed reaction with a touch of amusement, and made my way to the table. "Are you going to stand there and stare or sit down and eat?" I asked archly.

He flushed and sat down. Dinner was a silent affair, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I'm not looking forward to after dinner and of course it came altogether too soon.

Having finished eating, Harry sat back in his chair and looked to his uncle expectantly. It became a sort-of staring contest that broke when he finally spoke, "I suppose you will want to know what's going on."

Harry nodded, waiting for him to continue.

He steeled himself, keeping his expression blank, his voice impersonal. "Your name is Harry Potter, son of James and Lily Potter. Your parents died when you were 15 months old, killed on the Halloween of 1981 by a dark wizard called Lord Voldemort. He tried to killed you but the curse rebounded on him instead, leaving you the sole survivor of the attack with a scar on your forehead, as he was temporarily vanquished by his own curse. The wizarding world hailed you as the Boy-Who-Lived, being the only known person who survived the Killing curse."

"Avada Kedavra." Harry whispered to himself.

He looked up, surprised at the words that slipped out.

"It was green," Harry said simply as his uncle stared at him. "And his eyes were red."

The boy remembered. "Yes," he said evenly. "What else do you know?" he asked in spite of himself.

Harry had a distant look in his eyes, like seeing something that wasn't there. "I know Father screamed for Mother to take me and run. I know she protected me when the man asked her to stand aside. I know-" his voice trembled, "she died taking the curse that was meant for me."

He closed his eyes briefly, getting his feelings under control, affected by Harry's simple yet heartbreaking rendition of what happened. "She loved you more than anything in the world," was his only consolation to the boy.

Harry raised his head, eyes glazed. "I know."

He let the boy have a moment of quiet before continuing, "After the attack, Albus Dumbledore placed you with your mother's muggle sister. You are protected by ancient magic as long as you are in their care. But they did not want to take you in, instead sending you to the orphanage. Apparently no one knew, and I only found out a few months ago."

"Why did you bring me here?" When you could have just left me there.

"I promised Lily." He paused. "Besides, the orphanage is not safe for you. The Dark Lord had many followers called Death Eaters. They might harm you to avenge their master."

Harry thought for some time. "Why wasn't I under your care instead of the muggles in the first place?"

"The circumstances would not allow it," he said tightly.

"Wh-" Harry was cut off by a terse "Don't ask." Looking at the forbidding expression on his face, Harry fell silent.

"It's late, you should sleep soon. I'll meet you for breakfast tomorrow and give you a tour of the manor, as well as rules you should follow while staying here," he said stiffly.

"I-" Harry started.

"Yes?" he asked impatiently, a scowl on his face.

"I still don't know your name…" Harry trailed off, glancing at him nervously.

He glared and muttered something about annoying questions and idiotic imbeciles who forgot to introduce themselves before replying coolly and stalking off.

"Severus Lucian Snape."

A/n: Well now you know who's Harry's uncle. *grins* I don't think it's that much of a surprise and you probably think I was just going round the bush and keeping everyone in suspense for fun. That was the idea except that I didn't expect it to drag out so much that it's not a suspense anymore, I know it kind of wears off after a while. That's what I don't like about the writing, I can't do suspense right. sighz… Will combining the chapters so that the suspense is not too drawn out make it better?

In light of this revelation, I think that Luc's 1st person POV was very OOC and seems horrible. *cringes* Don't think I'm going to try to write 1st person POV again. Should I change it to third person narrative or something? I welcome any suggestions to improve the story.

deliquesco -liquescere -licui [to melt , dissolve; to vanish, disappear].

cicatrix -icis f. [a scar]; on plants , [a mark of incision]