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Chapter 4

Severus was startled by the headmaster's speech for he had assumed Harry would be going to live with the Weasleys or maybe another wizarding family. Severus stored this question in his memory bank because he was to report back to Dumbledore at eight o'clock that evening. Severus was unsure why he was drawn to the boy who looked so much like his nemesis perhaps it was the fact that Harry reminded Severus of himself, an abused and vulnerable boy.

"Hello Harry" said a short and cheery man "I'm Professor Flitwick but you may call me Filius"

"Hello Filius" Harry answered.

"Would you like to see the spare rooms we have and pick one?" Severus said interrupting their conversation.

"A room? For me? All to myself?" Harry asked in wonder.

"Yes" Severus replied with an icy tone that was not directed at Harry but his relatives.

Harry who had noticed the tone and thought it was for him shivered "I don't need to use the room, I'm quite short so I can always kip on the sofa" Harry explained.

Severus was taken aback by Harry's explanation then he realised that he had just looked angry so rearranged his face into a kinder look.

"Harry, the room that you choose is yours and I won't hear any differently" Severus said commandingly, then he and Filius took Harry upstairs to pick a room and meet some of the other professors.

Harry was sitting in his new room which was light and airy painted in a white with a light blue carpet. Harry was thrilled with the room, although Severus and Filius found this very strange because most children would have found the room somewhat plain.

Professor Dumbledore walked up to Harry's room and knocked.

"It's okay to come in" Harry said.

Dumbledore entered the room and smiled at Harry, who had been sitting on the bed playing with his figurine he had brought with him from the Dursley's. Harry put the toy down and stood up as the headmaster walked in.

"Hello sir" Harry said in greeting.

"Hello my boy" Dumbledore said fondly "I want to talk to you a bit about how you were treated by your relatives, if that's ok?"

"Sure sir"

"Harry please call me Albus"

"Sorry sir I mean Albus" Harry apologised.

"Quite alright Harry, now Harry" he said turning sombre with his change of topic "I'm going to have to ask you what they did to you"

Harry turned bright pink with embarrassment "I deserved to be punished" he said.

Albus tried in vain to extract what the Dursley's had done to Harry but he just clammed up in silence. Albus was sympathetic for Harry so charmed his toy to walk around as Harry looked on with wonder.

At eight o'clock sharp Severus and Albus met in the sitting room.

"I assume this meeting is about Harry Potter?" Severus asked in his usual snide voice.

"Yes it is, and don't think that voice fools me Severus" Albus said with his blue eyes twinkling madly.

"Well get to the point" Severus said in a slightly annoyed tone "sir" he added as an afterthought.

"Severus I'm going to have to ask you what they did to him to warrant you bringing him here" Albus said seriously.

"They appeared to not care for the boy whatsoever, there were no signs he actually lived there and if I hadn't known then I would have assumed it was the wrong house." Severus told him. "When I asked to see the boy they fetched him from his so called 'room' – it was a cupboard" Severus said with growing anger.

"Oh god" Albus said putting his head in his hands "what have I done! I placed Harry in their care and they abused it. The poor boy, this is probably the best thing that has happened to him in years."

The next morning Harry was up early, he usually got up to make breakfast for his aunt, uncle and cousin however he wasn't sure whether to leave his room if the teachers weren't up yet. Harry waited 20 minutes then he gingerly made his way down the stairs to the kitchen, on his way he passed the other residence' rooms and glanced at the placards on their doors that said their names.

When he reached the kitchen he saw that he was not the only person who was up. Minerva McGonagall, who Harry had met the evening before looked up from her marking and gave Harry a smile "Hello Harry, did you sleep well?" she asked.

"Yes thankyou Minerva" Harry said.

"What would you like for breakfast?" Minerva queried.

Harry was thrown by this question as no one had ever asked him this before, usually he just had whatever the Dursley's didn't want. Minerva saw Harry's confused look and said "we have some muggle cereal and toast and some fruit"

"Muggle?" Harry said with a quizzical look.

"Non-magical people" she answered.

Minerva showed Harry where the food was and then answered some more of his questions as they both ate.

I haven't chosen which teacher is going to be Harry's guardian yet so please pm or review to tell me your choice.

:-)