Chapter 4.
Harry was dreaming, he knew he must be dreaming. Professor Snape called him by his first name. That wasn't supposed to happen. Harry moved to the other edge of the sofa he was lying down on.
" Ah good Potter, you're awake."Snape's voice filtered into Harry's odd thoughts. Harry squeaked. Wait. Harry didn't squeak. He was 12 years old for Merlin's sake! He wasn't scared of people, especially not Professor Snape. But before this year, Harry hadn't been afraid of Uncle Vernon. The worst Harry had ever gotten from Uncle Vernon until this summer was missed meals and the occasional light beating. This summer had been so much different. Harry had been worried for the summer until he had come up with the brilliant idea that the Dursley's didn't know that he couldn't do magic during the summer.
"Professor? What happened?" Harry croaked out. He wasn't sure how to react to Snape. The man had hated him from before he had ever met him, but Harry hadn't been particularly fair to him after that first class. He still felt guilty for thinking the Professor had been working for Voldemort, but Harry wasn't sure how much he could trust him.
"I came to return your owl to you at your relatives when I found your Uncle- a rather walrus like fellow, don't you think?- hitting a rather comatose person. Do you know who that was, Potter?" Harry sat up.
"Hedwig! Is she alright Sir?" Harry hastily added on a "sir" at the end of his sentence when he saw the man's face darken.
"Yes." Snape answered shortly. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Merlin that she was alright, Harry wasn't sure what he would do without Hedwig.
"Now Potter, why don't you tell me about your relatives." Harry tensed. He wasn't sure how to answer this, he didn't want Snape knowing about his childhood, especially when Snape had thought of him being a spoiled brat.
"Not much to say really. They don't like me very much " He muttered.
"Potter, do not continue with this line of idiocy-" Snape started. Harry felt a sudden flash of anger.
"Don't pretend as though you care about me at all" Harry snapped out " it doesn't matter what my relatives did to me, nobody has ever stopped it before, so why should you of all people, a person who has hated me ever since I stepped onto Hogwarts, mind you, care at all about me?" to his horror, Harry felt his eyes prickle with tears while talking to the Professor. Snape stared at him for a moment before pulling out his wand. Harry tensed. Was he that mad that he would hurt Harry for speaking out of turn? Merlin knew that Uncle Vernon didn't need a reason for hurting him. But rather than point his wand on Harry, Snape summoned a blue shimmering potion, uncorked it and held it out to Harry.
"A calming potion, Potter." Snape explained at Harry's suspicious expression. Harry downed the potion, and didn't even wrinkle his nose at the taste of it. Immediately a wave of calm washed over Harry. He realized how tense he had been before, and he relaxed into the side of the couch.
"Now that you are over that rather obvious tantrum, tell me Potter, why haven't you told anyone?" Harry felt his mouth open without his permission
"Thought everyone knew, and besides 't wasn't bad until th's summer." Harry slurred. He straightened, he didn't want Snape to know that, why had he said it?
"Wha' you give me?" He accused Snape rather mildy. Harry tried to summon anger, but he just couldn't find it in himself to care.
" A Calming draught and a mild truth potion." Snape answered coldly. Harry wondered why Snape was so cold all the time.
"Why did your relative's abuse get so bad this summer?" Snape asked him. Harry wondered why he was so sleepy. And hungry.
"Pr'bly cause Dobby dropped a puddin' on Mrs. Mason's head, an' they learned I can' do magic 'side of school with't getting in tr'ble." Harry noticed his slurring was getting worse. Would Snape let him go back to sleep?
"Dobby?" Snape inquired. Snape. Snnaape. That was a strange name.
"An elf. Didn' know ab't elves 'til this summer. Strange bloke. Th'ght there was danger in h'gw'rts this year." Harry wondered if Snape had food in his strange house.
"Potter, if I gave you a way to stay away from your relatives, would you take it? No matter the person you lived with?" Harry wondered about this for a moment. It was hard to think, kind of like swimming through mud.
"I don' know. I woul' like to stay away from numb'r 4, but if the pers'n I was staying in was jus' as bad as uncl' vern'n I dunno. If the person wasn' gonna hur' me like they did then I guess so." Harry told him. Snape paused for a moment
"Well then Potter, welcome to Spinner's end"