Chapter 2: The Vow

Pacing. For the past dozen or so minutes, Severus Snape had been pacing back and forth in a fit of frenzied activity that demonstrated neither dignity nor self-control. Unfortunately for Severus, there were two corners of his life where those often abandoned him—Lily Evans and James Potter. Since he loved Lily with a passion equal to that with which he loathed James, there seemed to be an excess of passion for him when these corners converged, in their son, Harry.

"Now, really, Severus, I am sure you are aware —"

Severus stopped and looked up at Albus, who was watching him knowingly. "I have stayed out of it, Headmaster, for his sake and mine, but I know what I saw."

Leaning back, Albus steepled his long slender fingers, and studied Severus through them. There was almost a hundred years between them, a fact that Severus was reminded of at times like this. Despite his occlumency shields, it was as if Dumbledore could see right through him.

"I could not keep them safe." Severus stopped pacing. Saying the very words pained him. His back was to the older wizard, but Dumbledore let him continue. "I made a vow to protect him, Albus. That boy is all I have left. All I have left of her. If anything were to happen to him—"

"You did what you could. We all did. We could not have foreseen events as they would come to transpire. You know how things were eight years ago, Severus. Hiding the boy in the muggle world was the most prudent course of action."

Severus turned, almost not trusting himself to meet the wizened eyes of his mentor. He saw nothing there but empathy.

"At any rate, we shall know shortly." Dumbledore said.

Nodding, Severus resumed his pacing. Dumbledore had forbidden him to go and check on the boy's residence himself, probably afraid he would blow the door down and storm in on the muggles in the middle of the night. Privately, it would give Severus a perverse pleasure to frighten Petunia Dursley out of her wits, but he was waiting. When it came to Potter, he followed orders. He always did.

Not long after the pacing had resumed, a silvery shape burst into the room to perch at Dumbledore's ear. Severus snorted; of course, he was not privy to the message. He stood, waiting for the older wizard to tell him whatever and whenever he deemed fit. After sending off his own patronus, Dumbledore turned to Severus. "It seems that the boy is still in the house. At least, he hasn't been removed by force."

"When is the last time someone saw him?"

At this, Dumbledore nodded. "Arabella will make a call on the Dursleys in the daytime on some pretense. She will make sure she sees the boy with her own eyes."

"And if he is there?"

"I'm not sure I understand the question, my dear boy?"

Severus resisted the urge to snort again. He knew that Dumbledore could not be that dense. "Just because the child is there, safe and sound, now does not mean he will remain so. It could mean there is a plot to kidnap him!"

"He is protected there."

"I am beginning to wonder if that is so. I have followed your lead on this, Albus. We both know that the Death Eaters have only gone underground. Potter is almost ten years old. Do you really think that keeping him there is for the best?"

"What would you have me do? I am making the most of Lily's sacrifice. As long as he stays with Lily's sister, her blood relative, he is safe." Despite the compassion in his voice, Dumbledore was firm.

"Here's the problem, Albus; I know something is not right. In the dreams … it wasn't just that he had been kidnapped. Wherever he is, he has been there for quite some time. He was so undernourished …" As Severus spoke, a growing sense of unease came to him.

Why had the child been so small? Maybe he wasn't at Petunia's house at all. If he had been kidnapped, why hadn't she said anything?

"Severus, I must ask that you leave this to Arabella for now. She is a fixture in the neighborhood. I promised Petunia when she took Harry in, that we would not interfere." Dumbeldore seemed to suspect that Severus was not convinced that all was well in Harry's world.

With a curt nod, Severus returned to the fireplace, wished the headmaster goodnight, and left. As he returned to his own shadowy study, however, he had no plans to sleep. As a double agent who served the two most powerful wizards in the last war, Severus was used to risking his neck, and he was ready to do it again. Dumbledore would not be happy when he found out about his unauthorized snooping around Privet Drive, and Severus knew he would find out. But years of spying had also taught Severus to recognize when something wasn't right, and he was going to find out what was really going on with the Boy Who Lived.