Harry sped up to the castle, intent on finding the Headmaster. Why, oh why did that infernal man insist on candy passwords? Even under Imperius most frequent visitors of Hogwarts would know to just read the order form from Honeydukes to find the password.
He skidded into the Entrance Hall. Headmaster…Board meeting! He set off again, intent on finding Dumbledore.
The Headmaster, meanwhile, had reached the meeting room and was listening to the opening remarks when Everard marched into a portrait, gaining disapproving glares from the original inhabitant.
"Headmaster, it is imperative that you come quickly. Dilys swears she saw your charge leave the rooms, and she is not prone to mistakes."
"But how? I don't see how he… I'll make sure to check, Everard, thank you. Please excuse me, gentlemen," he inclined his head towards the board members in apology, "I must see to this situation immediately."
Harry raced around a corner, ignoring the cries of the portraits around him, and ran full speed into the Headmaster.
"Headmaster…" Harry panted, "Severus…"
"I'm just on my way to check on him," Dumbledore said.
"Headmaster, a boardmember was put under Imperius and told to kidnap Severus," Harry said.
Dumbledore stopped, and stared at the boy for a few seconds as the implications of that statement sank in.
"My office, Harry…run!"
In record time, they reached the office. Dumbledore entered the corridor to his private rooms, and came back out pale and trembling.
"He's gone, Harry! We've got to search the castle."
Outside, they looked around.
Harry pointed. "What if we take that corridor first, it leads to Gryffindor Tower anyway, I can pick up the Map."
Again, the cries of the paintings went unheeded as they made their way down the corridor. They saw no sign of the infant. Harry quickly entered Gryffindor Tower and got out the Marauders Map. Outside, he and Dumbledore checked.
"Merlin, no, he already has him!" Harry cried out in dismay, "Quickly, Headmaster!"
Years of running from Dudley and his gang had given Harry remarkable speed. He rushed off again, followed closely by the Headmaster.
They came too late, however, to even hear the 'pop' of Apparition, finding only a glassy-eyed man standing on the grass. Dumbledore threw a hard Finite at the man.
It was all the Headmaster could do not to howl in rage.
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"I couldn't resist it, I'm so sorry! I don't know why Mr Malfoy wanted the infant, but I didn't want to comply…it was stronger than me!" the shaken man sobbed.
Boy and old man were sympathetic deep down, but their worry over the missing child overpowered that emotion.
"You say you found him in the Entrance Hall. How could he have been down there so quickly, crawling?"
"If I may, Headmaster," Phineas Nigellus drawled, "the child certainly did not appear to be merely wandering around randomly."
Harry's jaw dropped. "Are you suggesting he INTENDED to go out?"
Phineas smirked. "He is a Slytherin. Ask the other portraits in the halls – I wouldn't be too surprised if he took the shortest most inconspicuous route to the Hall."
"He is a baby, Phineas," Dumbledore remarked mildly, though with an impatiently worried tone to his voice, "Such young children do not do anything on purpose."
"Don't believe me, then," the portrait sneered, "But I know a Slytherin gleam in someone's eyes when I see it, and that child was sneaking out!"
Harry rushed down the stairs and stopped in the hallway.
"Did any of you see a child? A baby, crawling?" he hurriedly asked the portraits.
"We've been trying to tell you," a youngish man huffed, "yes, he crawled by, quite determinedly. On his way out, I guess."
Dumbledore didn't need Harry to tell him what happened. The look on the young wizard's face told him enough.
"He ran away, didn't he," the old man sank down on the couch, "but WHY? Was he hexed? Imperius…"
Harry shook his head, but didn't burst the Headmaster's bubble.
"More likely Snape regained his adult mind, and set off to the dungeons to hide," he mused, "when he was taken. What will Voldemort DO?"
At long last, the answer came. Harry, who had been studying his map continually while Dumbledore tried to come up with a plan, saw Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape reappear at the edge of the forest. He jumped up, but as he did so, he saw Malfoy disappear from the map once more, leaving Snape at Hagrid's door.
"Come, come! He's back!"
And once again, they ran through the castle on their way out.
They sure were getting enough exercize today.
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Bloody Lucius. Being left on a doorstep. Hagrid's doorstep no less. How humiliating. Like he was a bottle of milk.
Ah. Well. That's probably how Potter felt about the whole being-left as well. Nevermind. He had to get outside the wards and see if he could still Apparate. He started crawling, but he was tired and the forest floor was much harder to crawl on than the smooth stones of the castle. To make matters worse, he could hear footsteps approaching rapidly.
"SEVERUS!"
Albus. No, no, he would not go back. He couldn't face him, not now, please…
"Severus!" Harry too? Wouldn't the boy be happy to be rid of him?
He crawled on, but he felt them gaining on him. Suddenly hands lifted him from the ground.
"Severus, child," Dumbledore panted, holding him close, "why were you running away? Shhh, it's alright, you're home, safe and sound."
"Headmaster…" Harry carefully pried him from the too tight grip. Good boy!
"He is bleeding. We should get back and treat his hands and knees."
Harry settled him on his hip and they trudged back to the Headmaster's rooms. Albus seemed to be in a bit of a shock, so once they were inside, Harry got water, healing salve and bandages. The boy was also clever enough not to put him on Albus's lap but put him on the dressing table.
It was then that he noticed the rough floor had eaten through his pants, and scraped his knees pretty badly, as well as his hands. They were beginning to burn and he sniffled a bit. Soon, though, Harry had expertly cleaned the wounds and put salve on them.
"You were abused," Severus suddenly said out loud, though his words still came out as babytalk, "that's how you learned to treat wounds. That's why you're fast and agile."
Harry smiled at him, not understanding a word, but that didn't matter. He understood better now. At long last, he was bandaged and dressed in clean clothes. Harry picked him up, and they sat down next to a by now recovered Headmaster on the couch.
Albus took the small face in his hands. "Severus…we have a lot to discuss, but first…do you understand us, child? Have you kept your adult mind?"
Albus knew! He knew, and everything would be over. For a moment he contemplated ignoring the question and acting like an infant, but he had never been able to stare into those blue eyes and lie. Slowly, and deliberately, he nodded, his eyes downcast.
Before he knew what was happening, he was suddenly swept up in strong arms. He trembled, his hands clutching the white beard. The headmaster held him and cuddled him, kissing his head and whispering soothingly in his ears. At long last, he was let go, but Albus kept him on his lap.
"Do-do you want me to go, sir?" Harry asked softly, his face pale.
"No, Potter, you may stay," Severus said, shaking his head. The boy understood the movement and smiled a bit nervously.
Would Albus be very angry?
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The Headmaster held a strong arm around the child – no, not really a child. His Potions Master in a child's body.
The onyx eyes finally looked up at him, fearfully and anxious. He smiled a bit.
"Did you run away deliberately, Severus?"
A short nod. It was a bit odd to have such a serious conversation with such a small child. One that was limited in his responses, nevertheless.
"Why, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with a desperate note to his voice, "what went wrong? Did we hurt you in any way?"
First Severus nodded, then he shook his head, before clutching a handful of robes and sniffling a bit. Apparently, judging by his behavior, his adult mind wasn't completely able to override the babyness.
Harry got up. "I have an idea," he said, and returned moments later with a large notepad and a thick pencil.
"Try and see if you can write, sir. Large letters."
Severus went to work. Dumbledore steadied the notepad for him.
It was difficult, the pudgy small hand wouldn't cooperate, but finally some more or less legible words appeared.
AFAID
SORY
"You were afraid? Of me?" Dumbledore asked, horrified, "why?"
Severus bit his lip.
"Because you feared we hate you as an adult? That we won't let you grow up again?" Harry suggested in a sudden flash of inspiration.
Severus sniffed, nodded, and finally to his shame, burst into tears.
Dumbledore gathered him up and held him close, running a soothing hand over the small back.
"Shhhh, my boy, shhhh, it's alright. My poor insecure child, I should've guessed it was something like that. These past days must have been rough on you, hmmm?"
Severus held on tight, his head buried in the Headmaster's shoulder, too ashamed to look up. The warm hands calmed him, the voice eased his fears, but he was still terrified. Not to mention that they now knew he had been an adult all through the bathing, pampering, playing and crying. Surely Potter would never let him live it down. How could he have been so stupid to let the boy stay?
He suddenly realized he was cradled in Albus's arms, and rocked like the baby he looked like. He began to protest.
"Hush, little one. You deserve a talking-to and I'm going to give you just that. Hold still and listen to me."
Dumbledore stroked a soft cheek when the now very young Potions Master looked up to him, clearly expecting harsh words and perhaps promises of punishment when he was his proper age again.
"When you were de-aged, we did think you were a baby in every sense of the word. Of course, looking back, I can see that you tried very hard those first days to tell us the truth. You make a very cute baby, Severus…don't scowl, that pout only looks adorable at this age. The only thought on MY mind was that I was given a very unique opportunity to love you and care for you, something you never let me do as an adult. I also hoped," Dumbledore sighed, "that I could make up a little for the childhood you never had. I was worried, and of course I want you restored to your own age, but while there was nothing to be done about it, I wanted you to feel happy and loved. My behavior towards you may be different from how I act when you are an adult, but I feel the same, my boy. Of course you will grow up again, and I hope, if you will forgive me for it, that this unique opportunity has enabled you to accept care and affection once Filius has found and performed the countercurse."
Severus held on to Dumbledore's finger, tears forming in his eyes as the lecture progressed.
"Twy," he finally choked out when the Headmaster stopped talking.
"Thank you, dear child," a kiss was pressed on the dark head, "I think you need to nap now, don't you? You missed your nap earlier and you still have a child's body."
The scowl returned and Severus exclaimed something Harry figured was detention worthy, but due to the babytalk he got away with it. Dumbledore did pick up on the meaning, though.
"I also think you need a better look at yourself, Severus," he said, as he took the child on his arm and brought him to the mirror.
"Aaahhhh….the perfect baby," the mirror cooed, "smile for me, little one."
Severus stared. Was that him? His father had always called him a runty, ugly child.
Perhaps it was Albus's good care for him, but he wasn't runty. Granted, he wasn't an overly large child, but the babyfat was in all the right places.
His hair was relatively long for such a young age, and started to curl at his ear. It was soft and silky. A tuft at the back stubbornly stood up straight.
But the biggest surprise was his nose. He reached and touched it much to the other two, and the mirror's, amusement. It was small, presumably straight, though it was rather hard to tell with babynoses, and showed no sign at all of the hooked appendage it had become later in life, when both his father and his classmates had broken it several times.
"Nowse," he managed.
"Yes, nice, isn't it?" Dumbledore tapped it, "it was only ever your lack of self-worth that kept you from having Poppy fix it, child. It was broken so early on that you never saw what your face really looks like. That your teeth were knocked out of your mouth so often didn't help either. Of course, you having all of two teeth at the moment, I can't show you what they would look like if Poppy straightened them."
Severus opened his mouth. Yes, Albus was right. Two tiny teeth in his lower jaw were all he had as far as dental works were concerned. He sighed deeply.
"Come now, you need rest after today. I'm glad you're back in one piece, and when you are re-aged, you must tell me all about what happened."
Albus carried him to the dressing table and eased him down. Severus looked away. Somehow, the embarrassment that he had overcome came back full force now that Albus, too, knew he was still an adult.
Then the Headmaster smiled warmly at him.
"Child, if you remember, I took care of you a couple of times during the first war."
Mercifully, Harry had stayed behind and Albus quickly helped him. He looked at his cot morosely. After the tiring day, and the emotional exchange earlier, he didn't really want to be alone. No doubt Albus would no longer indulge him.
When he was lowered into the cot, he obediently laid down and clumsily pulled the blanket up himself, turning away from Albus to hide the tears that ran down his face again. He waited for the door to close.
Instead, a hand stroked his hair.
"I'm not going to just leave you, Severus," his blankets were pulled off, straightened, and tucked around him again.
"Tomorrow morning Filius will be by to report his findings, and we'll see about re-aging you, alright? Sleep now, my tired boy."
Soft humming and a warm hand rubbing his back accompanied Severus into a surprisingly peaceful sleep.
A/N: A short timeframe. I made it so I wouldn't confuse myself, and maybe you would benefit from it as well.
Albus leaves for his meeting
Harry leaves for the grounds
About five to ten minutes later, Severus leaves the rooms.
Albus's meeting starts
Harry reaches Hagrid's Hut
Severus crawls the corridors
The Imperiused Board Member sets off.
Harry re-enters the castle, looking for DumbledoreAlbus is alerted by the paintings that Severus has left
Severus reaches ground level
Albus leaves the meeting and catches up with Harry. They check up on Severus in Albus's rooms and discover him missing. They set off to find him, unfortunately in the wrong direction.
The Board Member takes Severus.
Albus and Harry, using the Marauder's Map, see the BM and Severus on the grounds.
The Board Member reaches Lucius
Lucius leaves with Severus
About five minutes later, Harry and Albus find the Board Member.