CHAPTER 3

"That, is... Harry?" James whispered, clutching his wife in shock. Albus nodded gravely. Lilly was crying, her face blotchy with tears. Severus nodded with a loud sigh.

"What did you mean when you said 'master'?" Lilly whispered.

"Harry has been a slave for who knows how long. He has locked his consciousness away from reality in order to cope and it has been a long time since he has willingly joined with his body. Today was probably the first time in years that he surfaced, even if only for a moment." Albus explained quietly. Remorse and a hint of respect in his voice. Lilly and James gaped openly at what was left of their son, who was huddled in a corner on his knees.

"He needs both time and stability in order to help him out of his shell. I have asked Severus to help retrain him as a human with freedom. He knows how to deal with something like this and can deal with anything that may seem daunting to us. Severus will be able to do things that we would definitely balk at." James hissed angrily at Albus' decision and Lilly simply turned her head away. Sirius had to be physically restrained to keep from pouncing on the 'greasy git'. Severus simply sneered at them.

It didn't take long to grudgingly convince the Potters that Severus would be the best fit for caring for the young man. Neither of the Potters felt that it would be smart to inform Jason immediately. Remus had tried to convince them that they should at least tell him that he had a brother instead of dumping everything on him at once. They had refused to see reason and demanded that they be allowed to speak with Harry for a moment alone.

Harry looked up at the sky. In one of his rare moments of clarity he wondered why He was at a tea party with the characters from his favourite book. After all, hatter and hare were two rather odd characters to be sitting beside his pond with him. Then he remembered that everyone was mad in wonderland and it didn't matter. Smiling he took the offered cake and clapped in delight at his friends performance, laughing and giggling madly at the funny tunes they sang to.

"Harry." It was the voice. The little voice that was always calling to him. The little voice that always seemed to call him back to the surface.

"No. I won't grow up. I won't go back. I want to be mad." He retorted defiantly. It wouldn't make him be a real boy. He didn't want to be a real boy. Real boys were hurt, real boys were sold to men in fancy clothes for a night, real boys were real and not freaks.

"I won't go back." He hissed again before turning his attention to the new story that dormouse had been coerced into telling.

"No." Severus spun around. The voice had definitely not been Albus. He looked over in the corner. Harry. He was rocking back and forth in the corner, his knees tucked tightly to his chest

"I won't grow up. I won't go back. I want to be mad." The voice was childish, like the child hadn't grown up at all inside his mind. But it was too young for when he had been sold, he sounded closer to a child of five or six. Though, with his track record of caretakers it wouldn't be surprising that he had been severely abused at home. It would just make his job that much harder. Reintegrating a child who's body had grown when his mind was left behind would be hell. He would need to teach the boy about everything that he had missed. Reading, writing, basic maths skills, etc. not to mention the difference of a friendly touch and a harmful touch, parental care and children's duties and mutual respect. The child would be scarred for life with what he had lived through. His mind in a panic and unfocused. However, if this was only a momentary relapse this situation could be salvaged.

"Harry." He whispered, kneeling in the corner behind the distraught child, "Harry. You are safe now. That bastard won't touch you again. Never again."

"I won't go back." Harry hissed, whether in response to his reassurance or not, but it was a slight reassurance that he was aware, even if only slightly.

"No child. You won't go back." He rocked Harry on his lap and the soft Angels wings wrapped around them like a cocoon.

The next morning was heralded with the crash. Severus jerked from his bed with a shout and landed on his bedroom floor in an ungraceful heap.

"POTTER!" He cried out in rage as he tried to untangle himself from his bedcovers. Severus stormed out of his room, the effect ruined by his pyjamas and bed robe. However; he was startled out of his anger by a pair of frightened eyes as the child was hovering two feet off the floor, his huge wings smacking into the ceiling and one of his walls. The light fixture that had hung on his ceiling and a number of potion vials, both full and empty, were on the floor in pieces.

Harry was flying. His wings beat against the air, keeping him elevated, but not too high off the floor. But what was more important was the fact that he was terrified.

"What is he doing with masters pet?! Why is Angelo here?! Angelo does not understand! Is he a new one?" Harry spoke with a soft, choppy voice. His speech was basic yet derogatory, referring to himself as an it or a pet and speaking in third person. It was as horrifying as it was depressing.

"Hello Angelo. My name is Severus Snape. I have been tasked with retraining you for your new master Albus Dumbledore. Some of the things your old master enjoyed are not satisfactory for your new master." Severus explained cautiously. Watching the child's face for any sign of a panic. However the boys face simply fell into a mask and he dropped out of the air before folding into a prostrated bow.

"Angelo is sorry the Angelo is unsatisfactory. Angelo shall be better."

"Actually Angelo, that is the first thing we must address. Your name is Harry. Not Angelo."

"Angelo is sorry." Suddenly Harry shrieked, his back arched up like he was being electrocuted. When the fit passed he collapsed on the floor at Severus' feet, whimpering and crying apologies for disrespecting his master.

"Harry is sorry, Harry is so sorry master. Master must punish Harry for Harry's disrespect and disobedience. Will master be whipping Harry or shall he be fucking his pet today?" The child whimpered, heedless of Severus' horror as he began to strip down, displaying his naked, scarred body to the dour potions master.

"Harry! Put your clothing back on! I shall do neither of those punishments!" Severus cried, averting his eyes quickly. After a moment, the only sounds were of Severus' heavy breathing and the rustle of clothing as Harry redressed.

"Now Harry, I want you to go and stand in the corner and face the wall." Severus ordered sternly. Harry dropped into a low bow and moved over to the corner and stood, his nose in the corner.

"Has there been any progress with Harry, Severus?" Albus sat opposite the potions master, pouring him a cup of tea and setting a lemon drop on the saucer (which Severus casually snuck into his pocket to throw away later).

"We have made some progress Albus. But the boy seems to think that he must be punished for every minor mistake. It is difficult to work with him. Not to mention I get a Floo call at least three times a day from Lilly and James. It is getting out of hand. I need you step in and stop this. They cannot expect him to heal and learn if he is subject to their meddling twenty-four-seven." Albus sighed and wiped his eyes with his fingers. He had failed the child. Failed him spectacularly. He couldn't allow James or Lilly to get their hands on the child again, they would teach the child that love was a synonym for rape, manipulation and taking advantage. The boy deserved more that that, so much more.

"I shall do my best to keep them at bay. However when concerning guardianship and adoption of a non-orphan, laws can get quite tricky. Not to mention how respected the Potters are." Albus said. Severus sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. Frustration coursed through him. Getting Harry away from the Potters would be a long, hard road. He would fight for him though, and he had Albus on his side. The Wizenagemot respected Albus much more than the Potters would ever be.

"We are getting on. Slow and steady, but we will get to a point of no return soon. Harry is subconsciously connecting to the real world, he hears things that happen out here and reacts internally. It is incredible. On the other hand, when he reconnects to consciousness he either freaks out and causes a large issue, or he is believing he deserves to be punished or raped. It is entirely exhausting." Severus explained. The child had begged for punishment for three days after the incident in the living room, when he had woken up. Severus had tried to calm him, but the poor boy had been almost desperate to be either whipped bloody or raped into submission. After days of refusing him, Severus had caught the boy punishing himself.

The situations severity was horrific. Perhaps it would be better to train the most dangerous and traumatic conditioned responses out of the child then leave him be to live his life as easily as he could after that. It wouldn't be easy by any means, but it would be far kinder to the child to ease him into more of a household servant position than a sex slave. That way he could be caught up on all the things he needed to know without running into either a fearful response or resistance. After which, if the child was functioning on his own, they could train the child in the ways of freedom again.

After a fair few moments of silence Severus posed the idea to Albus.

"That may be the only way to go. I will remain the master of the child Severus. He will have to spend time with his 'parents' but he will feel no loyalty or misplaced gratitude to them. If I retain 'ownership' or in the 'Master' position then Harry will be able to heal in a healthy environment.. Instead of a position of subservience to the entire population of the Wizarding world." Albus murmured. It pained him to know that Harry's mental capacity was so far below his actual age, and that trying to bring him into a long forgotten freedom could lead to a breakdown of the child causing complete failure to thrive or even suicide.

"Thank you for agreeing Albus. I want to do right by the child. Not simply because I used to be a friend of Lilly's or even that he was supposed to be my godson, but more because I have seen and participated in terrible things, things that o feel I have yet to make up for. If i can save him... I think I may be able to bring myself to heal." Albus listened to Severus' reasoning. Another child he had failed.

"I just want to do something good, and know that I did this without help, coaching or persuasion."

"I understand Severus. I shall do everything I can to help you and Harry." Severus nodded in thanks to the elderly man. The two shared a comfortable silence, but their heads were swimming with violent thoughts and heartbreaking realizations. Finally Severus took his leave, back to his dungeons and house guest. Dumbledore sat a few moments longer before taking to the halls in search of one portrait in particular.

TBC