Chapter four: Behind Closed doors

A/N I do not own harry potter nor do I get paid to write this also I adopting this story from Severus Addicted with their permission so the first 12 chapters are from Severus Addicted.

Freak awoke to the sun warming his skin. He slowly stood up from his sleeping spot and looked around. The sky was a perfect shade of baby blue with white fluffy clouds, and a blue jay flew over Freak's head whistling a soft tune.

With a yawn Freak slowly stood up and made his way 'home' to do his chores for the day. Things would not go well if he did not return in time for his Uncle's arrival from work.

As he was walking down the street towards his relative's house, he noticed a car was still parked in his aunt and uncle's drive way. Well, this wasn't good. How was he supposed to get his chores done if the visitors were still there?

A thought came to Freak's mind when he noticed his Uncle's car flying down the road towards the house.

His Uncle slammed on the brakes when he saw him. "Freak! What are you doing out and about? You're supposed to be doing your chores and I know for sure you do not have them all done!" His uncle bellowed as he made his way towards the small form of his nephew.

Harry whimpered and tried to get away from his uncle's hands that clenched around his wrist. His uncle began to shake him back and forth viciously as he screamed at him for being worthless and repeated that he'll teach him a lesson that he will remember all his life.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Severus was reading the Daily Prophet when he heard someone screaming outside. He quickly ran to the closest window and looked out. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

Severus quickly ran to the door only to have his son following behind him. "Eli you can't come, stay here I'll be back in a few minutes!"

"NO! I want to know what is happening, and if it has to do with my James then I deserve to go!" Eli said unhappily to his father.

Severus gave him a warning glare and said, "You will do as I say young man or you won't be sitting properly the rest of the night! Now go to your room and stay there until I come back and say you're allowed to come out, go!" Severus anxiously looked out the window to make sure Harry was still alright.

"DAD!" Eli yelled angrily.

Severus glared at him and flicked his wand making his son stick on a wooden chair. "You and I will be having a discussion later about your little attitude problem! I'll be back!"

Severus ran out the door in time to see Vernon punch Harry in the side of his head, making him fall to the ground unconscious. Severus' anger flared as he saw Vernon try to drag his nephew to the car to take back to the house.

Severus sprinted the rest of the way to the car before Vernon could speed away. "Mr. Dursley what are you doing?" Severus asked Vernon as he tried to pull Harry into the car.

Vernon stopped what he was doing and turned to face his nosy neighbor, "Mr. Snape I'm sure this is none of your business. You see my nephew fainted from how hot it is today and I didn't know what to do." Vernon explained then turned to finish stuffing his nephew into the car.

"No I seriously don't believe that Mr. Dursley, seeing how I saw you punch your nephew in the side of the head. What happened, did he have a mosquito on his head?"

Vernon glared at him and said nervously, "This is none of your business! Go away."

Severus whipped out his wand and shoved it into Vernon's flabby cheek. "I don't think so, Dursley!"

Vernon's eyes went wide at the sight of the wand, "Y-you're one of them! L-leave me alone!"

Severus snarled at him and spat, "Oh yes I am one of them and you'll feel every bit as bad as your nephew if you do not hand him over to me immediately!" Severus gave him an icy glare that made Vernon get shivers down his spine.

Vernon stuttered, "Well wh-why didn't you j-just say so? You can have the Freak for all I care… Jus-just go a-away!"

Severus whipped past the whale and carefully picked up the small child. Severus was shocked at how light the child was, I mean he looked light but that doesn't always mean they are, but in this case apparently it does…

Severus glared at Vernon as he passed him, "I'll be calling Child Services when I get home. Then I'll be contacting Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and trust me you don't want to make him mad. You're screwed Dursley, say goodbye to your life." With that said Severus started his walk down the sidewalk to his house.

When he opened the door to his house he noticed Eli's eyes go wide with fear at the sight of his 'James'. He flicked his wand and Eli was unstuck from the wooden chair. "Eli, I need you to go get the bed ready in the guest room. Now!" Severus laid Harry on the couch and started diagnosing all the injuries on the child's body.

A list appeared and Severus began to read it.

Harry James Potter

Age Eight

Mother – Lily Evens-Potter

Father – James Potter

The injuries include:

Three broken ribs

Numerous bruises

Infected cut on the right foot

Under fed

Under weight

Abuse evidence from earlier years

Severus sighed as he looked down at the child. This poor boy suffered at the hands of abusive guardians all his life. No one cared for him, no one loved him, and no one was there for him when he needed it the most. No one was probably there for him when he had nightmares in the middle of the night, or had an accident. No one was there to protect this adorable, little child.

Eli came back into the room and said, "Daddy the room is ready. What's wrong with my James? Why isn't he awake? Daddy what happened?!" Eli said frantically trying to catch up with his father as Severus made his way to the guest room.

After he laid Harry down on the bed he maneuvered potions down his throat to heal the broken bones, bruises and the infection. The weight problem would have to be fixed in time.

Severus turned to Eli who was impatiently waiting for his answers. "Come, let's go to the living room. I need to tell you something."

Eli followed his father to the living room then sat down beside him on the couch. "Daddy, what's wrong with my James?"

Severus sighed and stroked his son's shaggy black hair, "First of all son, I need to tell you what James' real name is. His name isn't Freak or James, its Harry James Potter."

Eli's eyes went huge with excitement. "But Dad that's the boy you told me about who made You-Know-Who disappear! He's the boy-who-lived! OMG!"

Severus sighed at that, "Eli you know very well I don't like text talk."

Eli lowered his gaze to the floor then said, "Yes father and I'm sorry but it's THE Harry Potter! My James is actually Harry Potter, I just can't believe it!"

Severus nodded. "Well believe it because that's who 'James' truly is. Now to answer you're earlier questions of what happened. Eli, when I got out of the house I saw Harry's uncle punch him in the face causing Harry to black out. We already discussed how we thought he might be abused and here is our evidence."

Eli nodded his head sadly then said, "Dad I have another question."

Severus looked up to his son's face, "Ask away."

Eli took a deep breath then said, "Dad if you knew James' name is actually Harry then why didn't you tell me that so I could have just called him by his real name instead of his nickname?"

Severus sighed and started to explain his reasoning, "I left you call Harry 'James' because it was a fun nickname for the two of you and it made Harry happy. I have many more reasons son but right now you should just agree with the one I gave you and when you get older and you still want to know I'll tell you, but for now-"

Eli cut his father off, "Yes dad I understand!"

Severus rose his eyebrows at his disobedient child, "Eli Avian Snape you need to watch your little attitude problem. I am going to give you one more chance to stop acting like Draco Malfoy-" Eli gave the most shocked look he could muster because he for one did not want to turn out like that spoiled, not good for anything, death eater to be jerk. "Yes Eli that is who you are acting like. Now fix it now or you will find yourself over my knee, is that understood?"

Eli nodded his head vigorously, "I'm sorry dad, I was just worried about Harry." Eli had unshed tears in his eyes and by the end of that sentence they were flowing freely from his eyes.

Severus sighed lightly and pulled his son into his lap. Severus wrapped his arms around his son and whispered in his ear, "I still love you Eli, you know that. But what I don't love is your attitude problem, you know that too."

Almost five minutes later Eli was fast asleep in Severus' arms. Severus stood up and carried him to his room where he tucked him under his Quidditch blankets. Severus placed a small kiss on his forehead and whispered, "Good night son, I love you." With that said Severus turned on the nightlight and left the door open a crack then went to check on Harry.

When Severus entered the guest room what he saw made his heart skip a beat: The bed was empty.