Summary: The war is over for everyone but Harry. He is still fighting just to survive, but he won't make it on his own. Just when he's given up, help comes along.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, but I do own my imagination which takes me on wonderful adventures.

PLEASE NOTE: I am in the process of revising and finishing this story. I have removed all the chapters that had been previously uploaded because they have been slightly modified.

Chapter 2: Harry, Just Harry

Severus took the box to his study and opened it. Within, he found two large folders: one labelled 'Manuscript' and the other labelled 'Documents'.

Opening the 'Documents' folder first, Severus gave the contents a cursory glance. It seemed to contain various financial papers, medical reports, school transcripts, letters and other documentation dating from the time of Harry's birth to the present. He put this folder aside for the moment.

Severus prepared himself some tea and settled into his favourite chair in front of the fireplace. He picked up the 'Manuscript' folder and opened it. He noted that the contents were divided into two sections. The first was titled 'My Life' and the second was named 'The People in My Life'. Turning to the first section, Severus began:

Harry, Just Harry

I have been called many things in my life: the Boy-Who-Lived, Freak, the Chosen One, Scarhead, the Heir of Slytherin, the Golden Boy, the Boy-Who-Conquered, the Saviour and many others. Each moniker carries with it a different set of truths and images, yet none of them tells you who I am – Harry, just Harry.

Severus was drawn in by the simple writing style. He read without noting the passage of time as he continued through the rest of the day and most of the night. As he read, he flipped through the 'Documents' folder for proof of each claim. He found himself experiencing emotions he never expected he would feel on behalf of Harry Potter: disbelief, indignation, sadness, hopelessness, anger and others he couldn't easily define.

He learned of the unbelievable decision by Albus Dumbledore to place a newly orphaned Harry with people who feared and hated everything he was. He witnessed the pain and bleakness of an abusive, lonely and neglectful childhood and the apprehension and confusion of being thrust into both a magical world and a spotlight without a clue. Severus became aware of the knowledge that there was no one Harry could rely on for help and the lack of anyone in whom he could place his trust. Finally, Severus was exposed to the terror of having to face the Dark Lord time and again (always alone), the heavy weight of the prophecy sitting on his young shoulders and the knowledge that he was not meant to survive it.

Severus learned of the curses inflicted on Harry at the final battle. All muggles are 'deflected' from his presence feeling a 'taint' in the air around him, so life among them was impossible. His magic had become erratic and unpredictable, so life among wizards was also unfeasible.

Dumbledore had emptied both the Potter and Black vaults, selling off properties and heirlooms as needed for the war effort. Evidently, since Harry wasn't expected to survive the war, and as there were no others in the Potter or Black blood lines (or at least none that Dumbledore deemed worthy), there would be no need of his inheritance. Unable to hold a job either in the muggle world because of his taint or in the wizarding world because of his unstable magic, and having no home or savings on top of that, had rendered Harry homeless and destitute. Not even Hogwarts would have him. Additionally, due to Dumbledore's death prior to Harry's coming of age and the end of the war, there was no legal recourse available to reclaim even a portion of the funds or properties.

His social life was non-existent as well. No one was interested in Harry, just Harry – only in one of the other names by which he was known. He was desperately lonely. Flying, the one freedom, one bit of control, he had had in his life was no longer possible with his unreliable magic. Sleep evaded him, nightmares invading every attempt. His appetite and health suffered.

In a last-ditch effort to have something for himself, he tried to tell his story, only to be told that no one wanted to know the real truth of his life. The rejection letters from various wizarding publishing houses that were found in the 'Documents' folder attested to this fact.

Turning to the second section in the manuscript, Severus learned of the people in Harry's life: the Dursley's, who had stolen his self-image and self-esteem and had refused him basic human kindness and necessities; his friends, who had abandoned him when, due to his magic issues, he could not be an active participant in their lives; and the teachers he'd known at Hogwarts, who were afraid of the power he had commanded at only seventeen and wanted nothing to do with him.

In addition to his 'family' and 'so-called' friends, certain staff members received longer entries: Albus Dumbledore was seen as both the senile grandfather and as the extremely manipulative chess-master who played with people's lives as though they were pawns on his perverted chessboard. Minerva McGonagall was the stern, no-nonsense 'Aunt', fond of her students and proud of their accomplishments, albeit with blinders on, seeing only what she wished to see. Rubeus Hagrid was his first friend: Harry received from him his first ever birthday cake and gift along with the first real information about his identity. Yet Hagrid was not exactly an 'adult' that could be relied upon.

Poppy Pomfrey gave him the only care he had ever received and kept his abuse a secret after Harry convinced her of the need for it. If the wizarding world had found out that he couldn't even defend himself against a fat muggle, what would that have meant for the hope and belief the public placed in him for his eventual triumph over evil. As it was, the wizarding world was extremely fickle in their loyalty to him. Poppy agreed to keep his secret and cared for his physical and emotional needs as best she could, providing medical care and potions (which she brewed herself so others would be none the wiser), a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on.

Severus was quite surprised to find himself as the only person in Harry's life who came to earn his highest respect and trust – not even Poppy held those honours and definitely not his closest friends, whose ultimate loyalties were not assured. Harry's explanation for it was that Severus' own difficult history had made him loyal only to himself. Despite that, he was the only one who always told Harry the truth, no matter how difficult it was to hear. The man always pushed him to try harder and to do his best and somehow, always managed to be there to save him, help him and pick up the pieces. (And here he was again – doing exactly what Harry had 'accused' him of.) He sighed, How did I get into this situation?

He received a further shock when he saw what Harry had written next:

Severus Snape was the bravest man I ever met. He believed in me when no one else would and never treated me as either sub-human or super-human as everyone else did. He was the father I never had, but needed desperately. I lived for the rare flash of pride in his eyes when I did something that met with his lofty standards. I would fly high for days afterwards.

I could never have succeeded in meeting my fate without the secret support he gave me. I deeply regret that I never had the chance to tell him how much I admired and respected him or to thank him for all that he did for me despite the fact that he seemed to hate me with every fibre of his being. He never forgave me for resembling my father nor for having my mother's eyes. I have always wondered if he would have been more tolerant of me if I had looked less like them.

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he was being honest with himself, he had to acknowledge that Harry had understood each and every one of them perfectly, especially himself – it was unnerving. Harry's uncanny ability to see the truth in those around him only served to underscore the veracity of Harry's story.

He turned to the final page in the account. It was an afterword of sorts written in the form of a final request:

I choose to end my existence (here, Severus noted Harry's peculiar word choice of 'existence' as opposed to the more common choice of 'life') on the anniversary of my parents' death (when my own fate was sealed) at a time of day when I would not be quickly discovered. I have nothing to leave behind except my story and my name –

Harry,

just Harry

Severus closed the manuscript folder and sat back. He felt drained. Breathing deeply, he slowly regained control of his emotions. Then, he thanked Merlin for the emergency at St. Mungo's which had delayed his visit to the cemetery until midnight rather than at twilight when he was wont to go. If not for the unexpected potions he had had to brew for them, he would not have been there to save Harry's life (again, he added wryly to himself). He would not have been given this opportunity to put things right.

With a heavy heart, he replaced both folders in the box and went into the kitchen to make some tea. It was still a couple of hours before dawn, but Severus knew he'd get no sleep now.

As he waited for the water to come to a boil, he glanced outside at the moonlit land. He was surprised to see Harry sitting on the lakeshore. When had he left the cottage?

Severus prepared two cups of tea and made his way outside to Harry.

"May I join you?" he asked softly, handing Harry the second cup.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Of course, it's your lake."

"Another nightmare?"

"Mm-mm," Harry nodded, "a mild one, relatively speaking."

"I didn't hear you leave the cottage."

"I didn't want to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping – I was reading," Severus admitted. He cleared his throat, "I owe you an apology – many, actually."

"I owe you a lot more," Harry countered. "Let's just call it even."

Severus nodded his acquiescence and both sat, sipping tea companionably in the pre-dawn silence.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Please review – I'd really like to know what you think!