Just realized I didn't have any sort of warnings or disclaimer. So, here ya go!

Warnings: Manipulative Dumbledore, Independent Harry, Nice Severus, Dudley, Petunia, and Malfoy's, Implied Child Abus (since, never being in the situation before or knowing someone personally going through it, I wouldn't be able to accurately write it...), Original Characters of Importance (who pop out of plot holes...seriously, I have no idea where one popped up from...), Possible Slash in the Future (and if so, mpreg will probably be used, but it's implied sexual content). If many of you wonderful readers have a problem with slash, tell me and I'll write another version that won't have it in.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, there would be more humor to counterbalance the depressive moments. As is, we must live with deaths of the best characters, child rivals becoming wusses, evil people being hot then deformed, no good Slytherins, Headmaster's with too much power, lazy heroes (come on, CoMC, Divination? How about some interesting classes?), gullible heroes, dumb authority...the list goes on. Give me more and I'll add them :)

Severus walked out of the wards. Well, tried. He wound up running most of the way since Albus tried to talk to him. Quickly, he apparated to Diagon's apparation point.

He was going to first find a house to in so he would have a place to sleep in-between finding the boy. Severus was not looking forward to searching for a boy who had been hiding on the streets for three years.

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Minerva finally got in contact with Alastor Moody, the man in charge of the Aurors.

"Alastor, we have a problem. Can you meet me at the Three Broomsticks while I tell you about a...scarred boy?"

Alastor stared at her, magical eye piercing her as if judging her. "Will Albus be there?"

Minerva frowned, very unhappy with her employer. "No, the meddling old man will not be there. He's the reason we have this problem."

Alastor looked at the teacher, shock slightly apparent in his eye. "Fine. I'll meet you there in an hour. I want to know what mistake the old fool made."

"Thank you." Minerva cut off the Floo connection and got the things she would need for her meeting. As she was leaving the room, the floo flared up.

"Minerva, are you there?"

"Albus, I'm just leaving. I have a meeting in about fifteen minutes. What can I help you with?"

"Severus has...quit his job. Do you know where he could be or where I can find someone to teach Potions?"

"Nope. No idea where Severus could be. If he quit, you should just leave him be. After a hard life like his, that's the least he deserves. What are you doing about Harry's disappearance?" Minerva asked curiously.

"There's nothing I can do. My locator charms don't work and Mr and Mrs Dursley hare all things magical, so they wouldn't have kept Harry or Lily's things. We'll have to keep an eye out whenever we go out to muggle England."

Minerva inwardly rolled her eyes, though kept a mental not that Albus was so sure of Petunia's hatred even though he had never met the woman. "Well, I need to run. I'll talk to you after my outing." Without another word, she left her employer floating in the fireplace.

Inwardly fuming about the entire situation, Minerva transformed into her cat form and ran the entire way to Hogsmeade. On the outside of the Three Broomsticks, she transformed back and entered the restaurant. Sitting at the table in the back was Alastor.

"All right Minerva," he started when she sat. "What foolish things has Albus done now?"

"Many things. Of course, you know the story of Harry Potter?" It was asked as a question, but Minerva knew the answer. Who didn't know the story of Harry Potter in the Wizarding World?

"I know the story. Checked on the lad. Got on well with the Aunt, but I never saw an interaction with the Uncle. Albus said not to worry once Potter reached five as he would be making trips to the house. Excited to have both boys coming to Hogwarts?"

Now Minerva was surprised. "Both?"

"Yeah. Saw the young Dursley do some magic. Not as great as Potter, but still impressive for a child."

"Well, here's the rundown. Harry's uncle decided it would be a brilliant idea to beat the magic out of him, Petunia couldn't stop him, Harry ran away from the residence three years ago, and Dudley is not on the list of Hogwarts students."

Alastor's non-magic eye widened in shock. "And Albus knew?"

"Except for the running away. That was just learned today when Harry's letter didn't address itself and Albus sent Severus. After hearing the story, Severus gave his resignation to Albus."

"Why send the Death Eater?" Alastor asked, suspicious.

"Because Severus loved Lily Evans and vowed to protect Harry as well as possible. Severus couldn't stay around Albus after what he did to Harry. It's still a tad hard to believe. Why would Albus do something like that?"

There was silence as both members of the table contemplated the answer. "Well," Alastor began, "Whoever has Potter has a lot of political and financial power. When we finally find him, it wouldn't be surprising to find out he has a lot of magical power as well."

"An asset to anyone and everyone who can claim him," Minerva remarked. "Do you really think Albus tried to gain control over a little boy?"

"I want to meet these Dursley's face to face and find what spells are on them."

"The good thing that they're spells and can't be potions except maybe on Harry."

"Why not?"

Minerva snickered. "Albus may be an all powerful manipulative old coot, but he can't make a potion to save his life. That's part of why he kept Severus so close."

"That is good. We don't want to cause wide-spread panic through the Wizarding World about their missing savior."

"Oh something else Albus said that bothers me. His absolute certainty that Petunia hated her nephew and sister because of all their magic worries me. I remember when I went to introduce Lily to the Wizarding World, Petunia was just as excited and claimed that even though she couldn't do wand magic, she would do the other branches."

"What is Snape going to be doing?" Alastor asked curiously.

"Well, first event is to find Harry. Severus has a picture from three years ago manipulated for what he looks like now. He also has something of Harry's to use for a locator charm since ones using his name fail."

"Then doesn't that mean he's dead?"

"Not necessarily. If someone changes the name, the locator charm won't work since magic takes what a person considers their name to be."

Alastor considered this. "Okay, I'll let Snape look for Potter. Do you want to come with me when I go see the Dursley's?"

"And see that walrus get what's coming to him? Of course," Minerva answered.

"Let me contact Kingsley to help. Come with me." And Minerva followed Alastor out of the Three Broomsticks to the Ministry...