Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Thank you so much for the positive feedback! Hope you enjoy this chapter! =)

Severus knelt down in front of the cupboard, frowning at the lock that was on it. "Alohomora," He said quietly and then opened the door. He peered into the darkness. "Lumos." His wand lit up and revealed the nervous face of a pale faced child with large, frightened emerald green eyes. And the area around one of those eyes was bruised, there was a faint pink hand print on one cheek and finger marks on the boy's neck. Anger erupted inside Severus and it took all his restraint not to go and curse those muggles until they were screaming in agony. He took a deep breath, not wanting to further frighten the child. "Hello Potter, er, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened. How did this man know his name? And what kind of flashlight was that? He had never seen one that looked like a stick before... "Hello," He whispered.

"My name is Severus Snape. Can you come out of there? It doesn't look very comfortable," Severus said, keeping his voice quiet and calm.

Harry hesitated. "My uncle can't get in here." He said finally.

"Ah," Severus nodded in understanding. "Your uncle won't hurt you again, you have my word. Now come out of there, I need to see to your injuries."

Harry slowly climbed out and stood up along with the dark haired man. He's really tall, Harry thought.

"Why don't you sit on the sofa so that I can heal you," Severus said, struggling to keep the anger he felt out of his voice. He remembered the toddler he had held in his arms that fateful night, how could this have happened to him? This was completely unacceptable! How could Dumbledore have left the boy here? How could he not have known sooner how the boy was being treated? He narrowed his eyes as he watched Harry limp to the sofa. "Potter, does it hurt to walk?"

Harry hopped up on the sofa, wondering why his aunt and uncle hadn't come in to yell at him for being out of his cupboard. Maybe they had already left for dinner...

"Potter!"

With a jump, Harry focused back on the strange man. "Sorry," He whispered.

Severus felt guilt at snapping at the boy but how could he help him if the child didn't pay attention? "Tell me what hurts." He ordered.

"Um, my ankle," Harry admitted. "My eye, my cheek and my throat. And my tummy."

"You have a stomach ache?" Severus took his wand back out and lifted it.

Harry's eyes widened. "No, please! I didn't mean to complain. I'm fine, honest!"

Severus froze. He slowly lowered his hand. "Relax, Mr. Potter."

Harry giggled at the Mr. Potter before covering his mouth.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to check your injuries."

"With a stick?"

"Stick?" Severus glanced at his wand. "This is my wand, Mr. Potter."

"A wand?" Harry whispered in awe. "Like...like a magic wand?"

"Correct."

"But magic isn't real!" Harry protested.

"I assure you it is, Mr. Potter," Severus said as he began running a diagnostic, waving his wand over Harry. A parchment appeared in the air and began listing injuries. "Blasted muggles," Severus muttered as he read it over. He noticed Harry watching him with wonder in his eyes. The child was definitely the doppelganger of James Potter, messy dark hair, glasses...but James had never looked so thin. The child had Lily's eyes but hers had never look so haunted, so worn for a mere five year old.

He needed to get the boy to the infirmary so he could be fully healed and get fed. But first...

"Do you have anything you want to bring with you?" Severus asked.

"Um, bring where sir?"

Snape paused. He wasn't sure where the boy would go but he surely wouldn't be staying here. "To a castle where you can be taken care of. Now, stay sitting here and I will return shortly."

"Kay."

Severus left Potter and returned to the Dursley's. He smirked, knowing they could see and hear but not move a muscle. He released them from the spell and watched coolly as they awkwardly stood up, holding onto each other.

"How dare you? Get out of our house!" Vernon blustered.

"Oh no Dursley. How dare you?" He leveled his wand right between his beady eyes. "It was believed that you would take the boy and raise him as your own. That you would care for him and instead you have spent the past four years abusing him!"

"We never wanted him!" Petunia said stubbornly.

"You took him in, didn't you?"

"He was left on our doorstep! I snatched the basket he was in before any of the neighbors started gossiping!" Petunia snapped. "The letter that was there said for us to take him in for his protection and we did because we are decent people."

"Decent? You hit your nephew, you make him sleep in a cupboard, you starve him!" Severus thundered, the injuries and neglect that showed on his diagnostic still fresh in his mind. Compared to Potter, his own neglectful upbringing had been downright cheery!

"He has a roof over his head, don't he?" Vernon huffed.

Severus needed to get away from these muggles before he cast an unforgivable. And Potter's injuries needed to be treated. "He no longer needs your roof. I will be taking him to Hogwarts and he will not be returning here."

"Good," Petunia muttered.

Severus gave her a look of loathing. "No wonder your parents preferred Lily. I'm sure they could see the hatefulness in you from the start," He said cruelly. A slow grin spread across his face. "You were on your way to dinner, weren't you?" He waved his wand over them. "Fame Et Dolore."

Vernon and Petunia gasped. "What did you do?" Vernon asked fearfully.

"Just a taste of what Potter felt while in your care," Severus said casually. He turned towards the stairs and pointed his wand. "Let's not forget your son. Reus Somnia." A stream of silver shot up the stairs. It would do the boy good to dream of the pain and fear Potter went through. Perhaps he would learn something.

"What did you do to our Dudley? He's just a little boy!" Vernon protested.

Severus glared at him. "So is Potter, you blasted muggle!" He snapped.

Severus left them in the entryway and returned to Harry who looked up with hope in his eyes. "Is the castle real? I get to go see it?"

"Of course it is real and yes, you get to go," Severus pointed at the boy's cupboard and did a packing spell. He would have Potter go through his things later and see what he wanted to keep. He hesitated, remembering that Potter's ankle was sprained. "All right, let's go." He lifted Potter into his arms.

Harry yelped in surprise and put his arms around the man's neck automatically. No one had held him like this before and yet it felt familiar. "Mr. Snape, I can walk!"

"Professor Snape," Severus corrected as he walked out of the house, ignoring the Dursley's stare, and made his way to a spot where he could Apparate them to the gates in front of Hogwarts. "I am a professor at Hogwarts." Or at least I am now, he thought ruefully.

"Oh," Harry frowned. "What's Hogwarts?"

"The name of the castle I am taking you too. It is also a wizarding school where I will begin teaching soon."

A castle that was also a school? Cool! "What do you teach?" Harry asked curiously.

"I will be teaching Potions," Severus held the boy tighter. "Close your eyes. This may be uncomfortable for a moment." He turned on his heel and they disapparated.

HP

"Ugh, that felt really weird," Harry complained as the professor carried him through a pathway and up to a huge castle. He forgot about the awful sensation as they entered Hogwarts. "Wow," He murmured as his eyes grew wide, taking everything in. "Are – are the portraits waving at me?"

"Of course, most of them are quite polite," Severus said as he climbed the stairs. He didn't feel winded from carrying Potter, the boy was as light as a feather.

"Magic's really real," Harry whispered as his eyes took in his surroundings. "They told me it didn't exist. That magic was a bad word."

"They did, did they?" Severus said lightly, though his dark eyes were flashing with anger. "First thing you need to know Potter, is that not only is magic real, you are a wizard. You will learn spells, charms, potions and much more here at school once you turn eleven. The second thing you need to know is that your relative's are despicable liars. Forget everything they ever told you."

They entered the infirmary where the Matron was filling some vials. She glanced over when they entered the room and her eyes widened in surprise. "Severus? What are you doing here? What happened? Who is that?"

"Can't you see the faded scar?" Severus asked sarcastically. His hold on his temper was fading fast. He wanted to confront Dumbledore on whether the old coot had known how Potter was being treated. He would demand that Potter be placed with suitable guardians and he may plan another visit to those muggles, he knew many creative curses that would leave them very sorry they had ever mistreated the child.

Poppy Pomfrey's mouth dropped open. "Harry Potter? What happened to him? Why is he here?" She began casting diagnostics as she talked, her eyes narrowing as she took in the results. "He's been -"

"Abused," Severus said curtly.

"Poor dear," Poppy said gently as she summoned several vials and jars from her cabinets. "We'll get you feeling better in no time at all." She raised her eyes to Severus. "How could this happen to him?"

"His relatives," Severus practically growled. "I need to go speak with Albus."

"You do that and you tell him I will be speaking to him as well," Poppy said, her eyes flashing.

Severus inclined his head. "I'll be more than happy to," He said as he made to move. A tug on his robes stopped him and he turned to face a scared looking Harry Potter.

"Don't go," Harry whispered. He was so confused, he didn't really know where he was, everything was different here and he didn't know the woman in the apron.

"Potter, you will be fine. This is Madam Pomfrey, she will heal your injuries," Severus said. He hesitated when Potter stared at him with imploring eyes. "I really need to speak with the Headmaster but...I will return once I am done."

"You promise?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"I promise," Severus said, scowling at Poppy's smirk.

HP

"Severus," Dumbledore said as Severus entered his office. "How did everything go?"

"How much did you know?" Severus demanded.

"Pardon?"

"How much of Potter's home life did you know about? I may have hated James Potter but even I would never have sentenced his son to those disgusting muggles."

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat, his eyes sorrowful. "I assume you discovered that they haven't been treating Harry well," He said grimly. "I asked Arabella Figg to move into the neighborhood to keep an eye on Harry. She has reported that he is thinner than the other children, and appeared quiet and sad a lot. Sometimes he had bruises but he told her he fell while playing."

"Most abused children lie about how they get injured," Severus said angrily. "Why did you not investigate further?"

Dumbledore sighed. "She never saw the Dursley's hurt him and I suppose I didn't want to believe that Lily's own sister could treat her son that way, especially as she had a son nearly the same age. They are his family." He frowned.

"They are child abusers," Severus spat out. "I brought Potter here to the infirmary. Poppy is tending to him now. He has a black eye and a hurt ankle. He also had marks on his face and neck from being manhandled. From the diagnostic I ran he has been treated like this for the past four years. He also is suffering from malnutrition." He glared at Dumbledore. "Still think he is safe with his relatives?"

"I had hoped..." Dumbledore trailed off. "I made a mistake. I should have checked on him." He tapped his fingers on his desk. "The protection charm based on Lily's sacrifice is still in place, he is safe there from death eaters who would want to harm him."

"You would not dare to send him back there?"

"He is protected there, I will speak to the Dursley's myself and -"

"No," Severus said firmly. "They hate the child and he will feel that even if they never lay another hand on him again. They will continue neglecting him. I know what it is like, I will not let another child go through it. Especially Lily's child."

"The only other alternative is placing him with someone who is more than able to protect him from any remaining death eaters," Dumbledore said finally.

Severus crossed his arms in thought. "The Weasley's," He said after a moment. "They are Order members and Molly was friends with Lily."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I trust them, but they have many children already. It would be too easy for something to happen to Harry when there are that many children."

Severus sighed. "Fine...then how about..Lupin?" He hated suggesting it but at least Lupin hadn't been one of his main tormentors in school. He had just watched and done nothing, he thought somewhat bitterly. And, well, had been about to attack him as a werewolf but that had been Black's fault.

"No, the Ministry would never allow a werewolf custody of a child," Dumbledore said regretfully.

"One of the professors here?" Severus asked impatiently.

Dumbledore brightened. "That might work."

Severus nodded, relieved. "I suggest Minerva. The boy will likely be a Gryffindor and even if he is not, she was Lily and James Head of House so he will appreciate the connection to his parents."

"Minerva is too busy with deputy headmistress duties, as well as being a new grandmother," Dumbledore said pleasantly.

Severus gritted his teeth. "Pomona? Filius?"

"Ah, Filius has a huge family of his own and Pomona spends so much of her personal time traveling for her research..."

"Then what teacher did you have in mind?"

Dumbledore merely smiled at him.

"Are you serious? Me?" Severus scoffed. "I hated the boy's father."

"Yet cared deeply for his mother."

"I will be starting a new career and will be busy."

"You will be here at the castle, where there are many to help babysit," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I bet Charity wouldn't mind helping with Harry's schooling. She went to a muggle primary school and now teaches muggle studies. And perhaps we could set up a daycare once a week with other children so that Harry can make friends."

"I know nothing of being a parent."

"You'll learn."

Severus stared at him. "You really want me to be a guardian to Potter?"

"Once you adopt him, you'll be his father," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as Severus's widened. "You were friends with Lily, so that gives him a connection to his mother."

"Adopting? Albus-"

"You are a powerful wizard and know how death eaters think," Dumbledore said seriously. "I trust that you will be able to protect him no matter what."

"I do not think it would work," Severus said stiffly. "I'm already planning for a huge change in my life by changing careers. Plus with my history with the boy's father...it just wouldn't work."

"I see," Dumbledore said, disappointment in his eyes.

"There must be someone else."

"I will think on the matter. Thank you for checking on Harry and for bringing him here," Dumbledore said. "I will go and check on him soon."

"Do that," Severus paused in the doorway. "Oh, Poppy said she will be having a chat with you as well regarding Harry." He said with a smirk, watching Dumbledore pale, before leaving.

TBC: