Harry began to panic once he heard the portrait lock and Severus noted the tears in his eyes along with the desperation.
"Please, unlock it," Harry begged and began to hyperventilate and began to pull on the portrait as he begged to be let out.
"Harry," Severus said softly, and when Harry ignored him as he called his name louder. Harry, he realized had worked himself up so much that he couldn't hear anything he wasn't listening for. Severus knew he was going to regret the next thing he was going to say.
"RAVEN!"
Harry froze, as if he had had a freezing charm placed on him. Severus stood up and Harry immediately fell to his knees with his back straight and knees spread apart. His eyes were trained on the ground and he was trembling slightly.
Severus went over to where the boy had fallen to the ground. Harry didn't move until Severus put a hand on his shoulder and he cringed away. Severus crouched down in front of the shaking boy.
"Harry," Severus said softly, knowing that Harry would be startled even from his softer tone, "Look at me, please. I'm sorry, just talk to me."
"Don't," Harry pleaded, "Please, Sir, I want to see Moony. Please."
"Remus isn't at the school yet," Severus said pulling Harry up and to the couch. "He will be at the school by dinner. I will have him come down when he gets here. Now tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong," Harry whispered as Severus pulled him into his lap, "I just want to see my Moony. I want to see Moony."
"He will be here tonight," Severus said running his hands through the boy's messy hair, "You have to talk about this summer, maybe with him. It doesn't necessarily have to be with me, but it needs to be with someone."
Harry remained quiet and shaking in his arms as he tried to get the boy to see reason.
"It will help you get over it," Severus said, closing his eyes, "I know what it's like to not have someone to talk to. Maybe Minerva will help you, that is who I talk to, or Filius or Poppy."
Severus could see that the child's resolve was breaking and would break with a small push.
"I could break into your mind," Severus said carefully, "I was the one who taught you how to shield your mind, and I know your weak spots." Severus knew he had broken the barrier with that statement because he knew that his Occlumency shields rivaled those of Dumbledore and himself.
"I don't do anything this time," Harry whispered, "Uncle Vernon's company had declared bankruptcy and apparently it was my freakishness that caused it."
"They would have had enough money, if he didn't go to the bars and visit Bear's every night," Harry had his eyes closed and refused to move away from his professor. "He began to throw punched at me now and then but the bank account went dry and he was always home and drunk."
Severus wanted to murder the Dursley's already and Harry hadn't even gotten to the story of his job this summer.
He listened as the boy described the most horrific scenes from his time at the brothel, and it seemed to Severus that Max had been the man Harry was terrified of. He was repulsed when Harry described how the repulsive man had tied him down or strung him up by his wrists while he was tortured, beaten, and raped, depending on the man's mood. Severus nearly blew up a table when Harry told him the exact number of men who had used him.
"Sixty seven men came into my room during those weeks," Harry whispered, "Sixty seven, and they all were…" Harry began to sob and Severus held him closer.
How was it that the world could expect so much out of a sixteen year old, and then goes and throws him to the trash when they were no longer in need of him? Severus didn't know how to help the boy in his arms; he knew the child needed a father figure in his life. Someone needed to set rules down and focus on his needs, but could a child hurt so badly accept that someone cared about him?
Severus stood and took Harry into his guest room and made a point to ask the boy how he would like the room to be decorated, if he would be staying in the dungeons with him. Severus froze when he saw the photo album Hagrid had given him all those years ago.
The picture that was sticking out was one of Lily, James, and a baby Harry, all who were smiling up at the camera. Harry was waving his arms trying to hit the camera out of the hands of whoever was taking the picture.
Severus looked at the sleeping boy on the bed and then thought of the Weasley twins. The three of them would definitely benefit from being able to go back and have another childhood. It wouldn't take very much work on his part, and he would need their agreement, but he would make sure the three boys would see happiness again. He would talk to Minerva, Poppy, Filius, and Pomona about it as well.
Severus left the room and went over to the floo to call the other Head's of House and Mediwitch. He knew that between the five of them and Remus they would figure out what was the right thing to do.
Severus looked at the others when they were sat in his sitting area as he threw up a silencing charm around Harry's room.
"How is he, Severus?" Pomona asked as she sipped her tea and Filius took off his cloak. Poppy and Minerva were silently sitting on his couch.
"We talked about this summer," Severus sighed, "I don't want to even start going into that. I had an idea, to help him and the twins. What would you say to a deaging potion?"
"I… think," Poppy said and turned towards Minerva, "I think this could be good for them. The only question would be is who would take the twins? I know you agreed to take care of Harry, Severus, but the twins as well?"
"What do you mean who would take the twins?" Severus asked with a deep laugh, "Those three are as good as brothers, they wouldn't agree to it otherwise. No, I will take all three of them. Only one more thing to discuss before I ask them then."
Minerva's eyes widened even more when the man made that announcement, who would have thought that Severus Tobias Snape would ever take in three Gryffindor students?
"I don't know what to do about their brother, Charlie," Severus sighed, "Fred and George have both tried trying to get in touch with him, but he refuses to talk of reply to them. I believe if we send him a letter that we should be fine just letting him know."
"We can all write him a letter, then he cannot ignore them all," Filius said, "However we shouldn't send them until the boys make their decisions."
"Will it be a permanent deaging?" Poppy asked, setting her tea down and looking towards the door to Harry's room, "Or should we use the temporary version I have in stock? That way they will get their childhood memories and still be where they are supposed to be."
"I think the temporary will be best and more beneficial to them," Severus said, looking to Minerva, "You have been quiet, Minerva. What is your opinion?"
"It is a good plan; Merlin knows those boys deserve this small bit of happiness," Minerva said but then sighed, "But what about Albus? You know he will never allow it."
"He won't be able to change anything once I sign the guardianship papers," Severus said, snatching the parchment and quill off his coffee table where Minerva had dropped them. He quickly signed his name at the bottom of the parchment and the roll disappeared to be filed away at the Ministry. "The Twins are of age, so there shouldn't be any trouble with them, except their brother, maybe."
"I think it is a brilliant idea," Pomona said nodding her head, "It will give Harry a chance to be a kid, do things he didn't get to, and the twins will learn to be happy again. How long will they be deaged for, Poppy?"
"My dose that Severus prepared the last time we were going to use it will take a year to return them to their rightful year after a year at the prescribed age." Poppy said, "They will remember everything once they get back to their normal ages. They will have their memories, but they will be accompanied by happy memories they will make with Severus."
"Two years," Minerva said thoughtfully, "Two years with three young children, Severus, I do believe you have gone insane."
"I'm starting to think so too," Severus muttered under his breath, "Poppy, I will have their answers by tomorrow morning. Now Minerva, what do we do about Albus? I didn't find Harry's reaction to him normal, even when I argued with him he didn't react that way until I said something I knew would make him react. I would like to believe that I am more frightening than Albus."
"I believe I can run a scan to see who the last people he came into contact were are wizards," Poppy supplied, "Maybe someone used Polyjuice potion while he was in the brothel and made themselves look and sound like Albus?"
"We will be in the infirmary tomorrow morning for certain then," Severus said, "How much will they age?"
"The potion will take off fifteen years," Poppy said and smiled, "It has been a long time since Hogwarts had housed small children."
"The twins will be three," Filius smiled, "And Harry will be just over one. Well I for one will help out whenever possible, Severus."
"I will have the house-elves add another room for the twins here," Minerva said and grinned at the other witches, "I believe we have some planning to do, ladies."
"This will be an eventful couple of years," Severus groaned when Filius followed the ladies out. "Three kids. Bloody Hell."
Severus stood and went into his potions lab, Poppy had brought up a very good point, and someone could be using Polyjuice to turn into Albus. He groaned and stood with his list of needed potions for the hospital wing. While he was in his lab, he began to work on the burn salve for Poppy and think about what Harry had told him.
Harry had told him how Max would make him call him Sir or Master and how the man had beaten him when he didn't show proper respect. He told Severus about how he was terrified of going to sleep in Gryffindor Tower because of the other boys and the red that reminded him of the light above the door. Harry had sobbed as he told Severus of his fear of white rooms, like the one he had been staying in. Severus had listened as Harry had described how there had been an old man, with a white beard, and blue eyes, who had carried a snake headed cane, who had been there often.
"Damn it!" Severus yelled and stormed out of his lab just as Harry same out of his room. Harry automatically took a step back as his enraged professor stormed over to him.
"Pro…Professor?" Harry stuttered backing away quickly. Severus' anger left him the moment he saw the plain, cold fear in Harry's eyes.
"Harry, calm down," Severus said, guiding Harry back into the room and onto the bed, "I didn't expect you to be up."
"Nightmare," Harry said quietly, "About this summer."
"Harry," Severus said pulling the boy to his body "Was it about the old man?" Harry slowly nodded, "Harry, did anyone sound familiar or look familiar? I know you said the old man, but I would like to know if you could place a personality, anything that might remind you of another person."
"The old man," Harry whispered, "He reminded me of the Headmaster earlier. But he had that cane and would always say things that reminded me of… of Malfoy."
"I thought so," Severus said quietly, "We will be going to the hospital wing tomorrow morning, hopefully with the twins. We want to try something."
"Is Moony here yet, Professor?" Harry asked and Severus was surprised when Harry tried to bury himself deeper into his side.
"I sent him a request to join us for dinner," Severus said softly, "I also sent one to Draco, as well as Mr. Longbottom and Fred and George. I believe Minerva and Filius are coming to keep me company as well."
Harry nodded and reached out and pulled his dog to him, who had followed Severus into the room. Padfoot settled into his lap and closed his eyes; it was as if he knew the boy needed him.
"I signed the guardianship papers," Severus said as he leaned against the head board with Harry still clinging to his side, "Tonight I will give you the Stomach Enlarger Draught, and tomorrow we have to see Poppy."
"Why?" Harry asked softly, and Severus felt the child tense beside him, "Why do I have to see her?"
"She wants to run a test," Severus whispered gently, "We want to know if there were any witches or wizards came in contact with you before you came back to Hogwarts. Who were the last people you saw before your uncle sent you there?"
"Fred and George," Harry said, slightly smiling as Padfoot scratched at Severus' leg. "The last day I was on Privet Drive."
Harry looked up as there were knocks on the door. Severus raised an eyebrow and cast a Tempus Charm and smirked.
"It seems that we lost track of time," Severus said, "Get dressed while I let your friends in and floo your other two professors."
"Yes Professor," Harry replied softly and slowly pulled away from Severus' side as there was more knocking on the door, which made Severus sigh and get up.
Severus went to the door as the four students began to scream at his portrait and Remus began to laugh.
"Professor!" Draco yelled, "Let us in! We want to see Harry!"
"Hello children," Severus smirked, "It is nice to see you are all so patient." He opened the portrait wider and his eyes fell on the new scars crossing across the werewolf's face.
"Hello Severus," Remus said stopping next to his former classmate. It seemed that the two of them were the last of their class. Well them and the Longbottoms, who still remained in St. Mungo's.
"Hello Remus," Severus said, quietly, walking into the kitchen while the boys took over the sitting area, "Did the potion work?"
"Yes, I only went through the transformation that first month after the bite," Remus smirked and then grew serious again, "How's Harry doing? I haven't heard from him for many weeks."
"He's had an eventful few weeks," Severus said glaring around at the others in his quarters. "His uncle decided that Harry needed to earn his right to live in his house." Severus then went on to tell the man what he had learned from Harry about his summer and where he had found Harry. Remus was livid by the time he finished.
"Where's Harry?" Remus asked, starting towards the guest room door, "I want to see him."
"That's not a wise idea, Remus," Severus warned, and got in front of the door, "He isn't in his right mind. He is terrified of…" Severus trailed off and looked around at the four boys and the two professors coming through the floo.
Severus grabbed Remus' arm and pulled him into his potions lab.
"Harry is terrified of people," Severus said, warding the door, "Earlier, the headmaster made him have a panic attack, and that was the only one. Remember what I told you about the old man Harry told me about, with the cane?"
"You don't think…" Remus trailed off and Severus nodded, "When I get a hold of him, I'll kill him."
"You will not go off and attack him." Severus said, quickly, "We need to find him first; we need to make a plan. For now, he will be staying in my rooms with me, which by the way, are probably being destroyed."
"Wait a moment," Remus sighed, "The twins haven't brought any joke items this year. Those two are a shell of what they used to be. We have only had one problem with them so far."
"I know," Severus sighed and took the wards down, "But what happened?"
"Theodore Nott was saying some despicable things about their family," Remus said quietly, "From what Minerva and Filius told me, Fred and George didn't react until he brought up a little fact nobody decided to tell us. Anyways, Nott tried to throw a punch at George and Fred stepped in. Poppy had to heal a black eye."
"What did he say?" Severus asked, "George told me about his time in Riddle Manor earlier today. Is there something I need to know before we go through with this deaging?"
"Apparently, Nott's father was one of the people who took part in their sport" Remus said and took a deep breath, "According to him, Malfoy, Nott, and the Lestrange brothers bragged to him and his friends about their…" Remus stopped and thought about how to phrase his next thought, "Extracurricular activities."
"They used sport on them? All of them?" Severus asked sitting at his desk, and Remus nodded again, "They are so lucky that they are dead of on the run?"
"I am sure they are," Remus said, "I'm going to go see Harry," Remus started towards the door but hesitated when Severus called him back.
"Remus," Severus said softly, "Ask Fred to come in here, please." Remus nodded again and left Severus alone for a few minutes, 'It is time we figure this all out.'