I don't own Harry Potter, just this plot! :)

Also Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

"But, why? Why did the headmaster betray you?"

"I have no idea, Hermione, but he is the reason I fight for the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord promised that he would never have killed Lily, and showed me his true intentions by letting me into his mind. My only advice is to never trust the old fool. Never look him in the eye for longer than a second, if you wish to not have your mind invaded. End of discussion, if you please," Severus said, finally looking her in the eye.

Hermione nodded and smiled, hugging Severus around the waist.

"Thank you for the beautiful room sir. What should I call you?"

"Sir or Severus will be fine until you are comfortable enough to call me Dad or Father. Whatever name you choose to gift me with I will be happy. I am very happy to be your father, child."

"Okay si-Severus," Hermione said with a smile. "What are our plans for tonight?"

"Well, we will have dinner, and then after that, I need to go and meet with Harry Potter, for he will also be living with us. I need to apparate to his town, Little Whinging. Would you like to come and meet your new brother? Although I despise his father, and no doubt he is spoiled rotten, being the Boy who Lived, I have to adopt the brat, otherwise Dumbledore will be down my throat for the next 7 years."

Hermione gave her father a confused glance. "The boy who lived? Why do you hate him so?"

Severus sighed, before he began telling her the story of James Potter as he walked her down to dinner.

"You remember the mentioning of James Potter? Yes? Well, he was engaged to Lily Evans, who was your mother. He treated me terribly in school. Him, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin all treated me like dirt, constantly playing evil pranks on me. Dumbledore never did anything. As I was in Slytherin, no one ever did anything to help me. There is no doubt that ever since Potter, the one we are going to go see very soon, will be spoiled by his aunt and uncle because he's way to special for his own good. It will be best if he gets taught that the world does not revolve around him."

Hermione only nodded, feeling it was best to stay quiet. After finishing their dinner, which was a lovely roast with carrots, potatoes, onions and celery, and strawberry pie for dessert, Severus and Hermione apparated to an alley in Little Whinging.

Severus knocked on the Dursley's front door. Only a few moments passed before a thin, bony looking woman opened the door. Frankly, she looked like a horse, or maybe a giraffe with that ridiculously long neck.

"You!" She cried before going to slam the door in their faces.

Severus, however, was too quick for her and slammed his hand on the door to stop it from closing, ushering Hermione in and squeezing himself in before he got caught by the door.

"Yes, Tuney, its me. The man who you despise, the man who your sister had an affair with and made this little gem," gesturing to Hermione yet remained with a sneer on his face. "Where is the Potter boy? I'm required to adopt the little brat."

"Oh, little brat is right! Finally, something I agree with you on. However, I think that he's fine here. We're disciplining him enough and we've got it all under control," Petunia said, sounding suddenly nervous.

As a spy, he knew immediately that something was amiss.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Yelled a fat man as he waddled into the living room.

"Vernon dearest, they're trying to take the boy."

"The freak? Oh, yeah him. He doesn't take company." Vernon said, smelling of alcohol.

"Let me see him. I am a professor at Hogwarts, where he is scheduled to attend this fall. I am required to adopt him, so let me see him."

"No, I refuse. Now leave sir, you are not allowed here, no doubt your purple eyed raven is a freak too," he said before leaving the room and banging on the cupboard and laughing maniacally.

Hermione shrunk back behind her father, tear glistening in her eyes. She had always been teased for her looks in school, especially her bushy hair, but she had hoped that it was over now that her looks had changed. Clearly not. Her father gripped his wand tightly and strode off to the cupboard under the stairs, unlocking it with a spell. The door flung open and she saw her dad's eyes widen in shock.

Hermione crept over and peaked inside. A small boy her age was curled up on a small mat with a moth eaten blanket and a tiny pillow. He blinked at the bright light going into the small cupboard. The odor was awful, and the boy was battered with cuts and bruises. The boy's hair was shaven except for his bangs, but appeared to be growing back at a considerable rate.

He only had a few shirts and pants. His clothes were much too big and he seems to curl tighter in a ball as Severus stood over him.

"Merlin, what has happened," Hermione heard Severus mutter.

Severus immediately turned and cast a spell at the two Dursley parents, freezing them into place. He then turned back to the boy and cast a warming charm on him. He carefully extracted the boy from the cupboard, careful to not knock any part of him against the door or doorframe.

"I will be back, don't you forget it, Tuney. Your sister would be so disappointed in you. You're lucky she isn't here. She would have murdered you," Severus snarled.

Severus Snape had apparated to Prince Manor, holding a very small, lightweight, and unconscious boy.

"Lucinda?" he called, "Take Hermione to her room and when you are done fetch me a bowl of hot water and a washrag. This poor thing was beaten and starved by his aunt and uncle. I'm going to wash his wounds and give him a pain potion, and apply a salve to his bruises. After I know he is stable, I want you to look after him while I go visit the horrible creatures that did this to him."

After saying goodnight to Hermione, he rushed off to the 2nd guest bedroom, which he decided would become Harry's room. Harry remained limp in his arms. By the time he got to the room, Lucinda was already present, placing the requested bowl of warm water and washrag. Severus gently set Harry down on the covers, before banishing his clothes down to his underwear. At the sight of the poor boy's undergarments being much too big, smelly, and tied on with a string, he quickly banished those too, making a mental note to go to Diagon Alley as soon as the boy was healed well enough to get Harry an entire new wardrobe. He accioed a pair of his own that he shrank to fit the younger boy.

Severus dunked the rag in the water before ringing it out and starting on Harry's stomach. Soon, the water in the bowl had turned rust colored, and Severus wasn't even halfway done cleaning Harry's cuts up.

"Lucinda?"

"Yes, sir? What can Lucinda do sir?"

"Please replace this water, as you can see, the water is not sanitary," Severus sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Yes sir, right away sir, anything to help the Young Master," Lucinda said, before apparating.

Within a minute, Lucinda was back with warm, fresh water. Severus cleaned the rest of the cuts, but not before drawing back at the sign of the beating Harry had endured. There were scars all over Harry's back and they were puckered from not healing properly. Severus felt guilt as he remembered his earlier statements to his daughter about Harry. He needed to apologize to her and Harry, when he woke up of course.

Severus called for Lucinda again, this time asking if she would stay with Harry while he got the salve and pain potion. Severus stalked towards his lab, both saddened and enraged. The Boy who Lived, the Savior of the Wizarding World should not be treated like a common mule! No, wait, a common mule is treated better than how Harry Potter was. There was no doubt in his mind that the boy needed unconditional care and needed to be shown what having a real guardian was like. He could only assume that he had never had anything properly boughten for him.

Before he could register where he was going, he found himself in his potion's lab, absentmindedly gathering the potion and salve that he needed. Severus snapped himself out of his thoughts and returned to Harry's room. He scoffed at himself. He had gone from calling the boy Potter, to Harry in less than 6 hours.

Gently, he applied the salve to Harry's arms, chest, legs, back, and anywhere that was even mildly bruised. He made a mental note to have Poppy check Harry out when they went to visit Hogwarts in several days' time. By the time that he was finished, he was exhausted, but he knew that there were several things he needed to do before he even thought about sleeping. However, sleeping wasn't even on his radar. He was much too concerned about questioning the Dursley's and taking care of Harry.

"Are you okay to watch over him for a few hours, Lucinda? I have some business that I need to take care of. If you need me, I will be at Number 4, Privet Drive in Little Whinging. Go there if Harry wakes, or starts fretting, or if there is anything you need me for that you cannot do. Understood?" Severus said, appearing calm, but feeling the exact opposite.

Severus apparated away, knowing his target.

Hi all!

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review and I will do my best to respond. I want to remain connected with my readers. The next chapter will be kinda sad, so just a heads up for all of you! I've written ahead on several chapters and hope to be done with several week's worth before I start the next semester at college so I am less likely to get behind.

Continuous question: What houses should Harry and Hermione be in?

Thanks everyone!

ekrichards