Harry sat silently on his cot in a tiny cupboard under the stairs. His legs dangling off the edge of the bed. Even at five years old he was short for his age and unable to touch the floor from his low cot. Before him on the bed was a brightly colored baby blanket that had been tied into a bundle. Harry cocked his head, listening to the sounds of the house. The family that lived there had left just after lunch to take their son Dudley, Harry's cousin, to the toy store to buy him some presents for his sixth birthday. Finally satisfied that no one was there; Harry clutched his bundle to his chest and stepped out of his cupboard. Walking quickly to the front door the little boy opened it and left the only home he could remember.
Harry wasn't normally a disobedient child and in fact wasn't actually breaking any rules as he left the house. His aunt and uncle had sternly told him not to touch anything while they were gone and his cousin Dudley had told him not to play with any of his toys, but it was a sign of their complete disregard for their nephew that they didn't tell him not to open the door for strangers or leave the house. Harry had been thinking of running away for about a week now. His Primary teacher, Miss Kilkenney had read the book Where the Wild Things Are about a boy named Max who runs away from home and finds an island of monsters to rule over. This had been a revelation for Harry. He had no idea that you could leave your family if you weren't happy with them. So Harry had snuck into the kitchen each night and hidden food in his cubby in preparation of leaving. In the mind of a five year old the plan seemed ingenious. He would run away and find another place to live. He hadn't thought about where that would be but it had to be better than the Dursleys' home, didn't it?
Grinning, Harry walked down Privet drive. The sunshine was bright and warm and he was enjoying his adventure enormously. After several blocks Harry found a small park filled with children. Setting down his bundle on a park bench Harry ran over and began playing with them. "I'm Harry," he said to one little boy as he shared a seesaw with him. "Hi Harry, I'm Will," the boy responded. They played for almost an hour before a woman on one of the park benches blew a shrill note on a whistle. Will frowned, "That's Miss Frye, I have to go now." "Where are you going?" Harry asked curiously as he got his blanket and walked Will back to the group of other children. "Back to daycare. This was a field trip." Harry considered this. Miss Frye was herding the children onto a public bus. Harry didn't really want to walk any more and thought that a bus was a good idea, so he simply walked onto the bus with the other children. Will had already sat with a friend from his daycare so Harry made his way to the back of the bus and sat down next to a window. Harry had enjoyed a long day full of excitement so it wasn't surprising that as the bus trundled along he fell into a sound sleep.
"Last stop, Spinners End!" the bus driver called, waking Harry from his nap. It was getting late and Harry was slightly car sick so when the bus stopped he climbed down the steps and exited the back door. As the bus pulled away Harry looked about him. The street he was in was run down and deserted. Harry was just trying to decide what to do when he heard a loud crack! from a nearby alley. Harry poked his head around the corner curiously to see a tall man dressed all in black like a judge's robe. Harry's uncle had taught him that grown up men were creatures to be wary of, with their uncertain tempers and heavy belts. Suddenly several things happened at once. The forbidding man stalked toward the entrance of the alley where Harry was standing, Harry quickly backpedaled to hide from the scary man, unintentionally stepping on the tail of a cat that had already been hiding in the alley, and the cat let out a blood curdling yowl. The man turned sharp eyes towards the sound and pinned Harry with a steely glare. Harry's face was white with fear and tears coursed down his cheeks but he held his ground and didn't flinch from the unblinking gaze.
Severus Snape growled as he apperated to the alley near his home. He had just come from a school staff meeting and was tired from a very long day. Just as he began to exit the alley a loud yowl issued from the darkness to his left. Severus whirled around aiming his wand at the unexpected noise. His keen gaze filtered out the shape of a small child in shadows, the boy's pale face a stark contrast to a mop of unruly black hair. Severus grudgingly put away his wand and waited for the child to explain himself. It quickly became evident that the child was too intimidated by Severus to explain why he was out alone at sunset. Severus sighed, just what I wanted, "Well boy, who are you," he snapped. The boy started at the harsh question, "Harry sir."
"And what, pray tell, are you doing out this late? Are your parents insane to let a toddler out alone?"
The boy's chin jutted out obstinately, "I'm not a toddler," he stated, "I'm five, almost six! And I don't have any parents. My aunt and uncle have to watch me." Brilliant Severus, pick on a five year old orphan. If anyone's opinion of your character was in jeopardy it certainly isn't now. Severus contemplated the child before him. His face had lost its stubborn cast and he was now making a frank appraisal of the imposing man before him. "Where do you live boy? I'll take you home," he said wearily. During their exchange the child had been getting more relaxed in Severus' presence, but at the mention of his home all of the fear came flooding back into his face, "No! I don't want to go back," the boy wailed. Suddenly Severus was shoved backwards several feet by an invisible force. Severus staggered for a moment before pulling out a small bottle and dabbing some of its contents on his eyelids. He looked again at the frightened child; with his mage sight elixir he could see a silvery aura of magic surrounding the boy. Severus felt twinges of resonance to his own distant past and the cry of another black haired little boy, "I don't want to go back to father!"
"Very well then. You will come with me and explain exactly why you don't wish to return to your home. But should I find that this is some puerile whim you will wish we had never met." With that Severus turned on his heel and swept down the street without a backwards glance at the boy following him.
Harry stared around him at the dark and dingy home. Aunt Petunia would make the sour face if she saw the dust and tatty drapes. Aunt Petunia had strong notions of how a house should look. The tall man lead him through the front hall and off to a sitting room. The chairs were soft leather with worn spots on the arms. Harry sat on one across from the strange man who was leveling a questioning glare at him. "Well?" the man said impatiently. Harry scrunched up his brow and tried to figure out how to say what he felt. He couldn't recall ever being asked what he thought before except as a prelude to getting punished. Finally he mumbled something while looking at his feet. "I would appreciate your remarks being directed at me and not at your shoes." Harry turned his face up and finally said in a plaintive rush, "Aunt Petunia hates me and Dudley hits me and it's my fault and I'm hungry."
Severus was a head of House Slytherin which meant that he used cunning before bravery and always looked for a second meaning in everything. In a few seconds he had taken the statement apart and compared it with the boy in front of him. Harry's clothes were several sizes too big for him. A fact that had disguised his slight frame but as Severus looked closer he noticed that the boy's cheekbones stuck out more than was to be expected in a child that should be rounded with baby fat. There was also a fading bruise at the boy's collar bone. Anger surged inside the dower man, How dare they beat and starve a child. "You shall remain here tonight. Tomorrow we will go to the ministry and press charges on the imbeciles that are your current guardians. I suspect that you haven't eaten recently so it seems I will need to remedy that. Come," Severus commanded as he rose gracefully from the chair and lead his young guest to the kitchen.
Harry sat at the small kitchen table and watched as his host pulled out the stick he had pointed at Harry earlier and said something strange. Harry gasped in delight as pots whizzed through the air to land silently on the range. The burner burst into life and water appeared inside the pots. Severus raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on the boy's obvious unfamiliarity with magic. His family are Muggles then. My astonishment knows no bounds. In less than ten minutes they were both seated at the table eating a dinner of farfalla pasta with herb sauce.
"Sir," Harry queried softly. Severus raised an eyebrow in response. "I don't know your name sir."
"A polite child, will wonders never cease," he remarked sardonically, "Snape, Severus Snape." Harry came around the table and held out his hand, "I'm Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you Mr. Snape." Severus had partially extended his hand to the boy when he stopped dead at the mention of Harry's surname. Slowly Severus took Harry's outstretched hand and drew him forward. The boy moved towards him willingly and, with trembling hand, Severus brushed his bangs away from the child's forehead revealing a lightning bolt shaped scar. "Harry Potter," he whispered, so stunned he dropped the boy's hand. Emotions warred within him. Old anger at James Potter, grief at the death a woman that had shown him caring and fiery conviction, smugness at the misplaced punishment that Potter's son had obviously had to endure, anger at the abuse of a magical child at the hands of a muggle family-like his own father's abuse of him. Finally the oldest anger won out, "I'm going to rather enjoy rubbing Albus' nose in his mistake," he said more to himself than the boy. During this mental debate, Harry had nervously watched Mr. Snape's face draw into an angry scowl. Harry took several steps backwards; angry men meant ouches and screaming and heavy belts. Suddenly Severus' hand slammed down on the arm of his chair. Terrified Harry bolted for the stairs and threw himself into the cupboard there.
Severus came out of his reverie only to scowl again, Where has that boy gotten to? he thought in irritation. When a quick search of the house turned up nothing Severus began to feel slightly nervous. It was one thing to have the Boy-Who-Lived thrust upon him by fate, it was quite another to lose him within half an hour of meeting him. Finally, as he paced the hall, Severus' keen hearing caught a muffled sob from the cupboard under the stairs. Turning, he tripped the latch and swung the door open. Harry huddled in the farthest corner, his face streaked with tears, "I-I-I'm s-sorry," he said timidly. Severus felt his irritation ebb away as he knelt down before the quivering boy, "May I ask why you are sitting in my storage cupboard?" he inquired in the mildest tone he could manage, which unfortunately was just short of an irritated snarl.
"I'm supposed to. Uncle Vernon always yells to go to my cupboard after punishment," he said fearfully. "What do you mean 'your cupboard'?" Severus asked in a pained voice. "My cupboard," Harry said in confusion, then clarified, "where I sleep." "Bastards," Severus muttered. "Come out from there, I absolutely forbid you to enter that cupboard again," he said in a stern voice as he pulled out a snowy linen kerchief and handed it to the boy. Harry scrubbed his cheeks before scrambling out of the cupboard to stand in front of the dower man, "Are you going to take me back?" he asked with trepidation. Severus sneered at the thought of the people that had been entrusted with Harry's upbringing, "It is more likely that I should be made head of Gryffindor than that you go back to that pack of inbred idiots."
Suddenly Harry launched himself at the dower potion master and wrapped his tiny arms around Severus' neck is a tight hug. Severus rocked back on the balls of his feet from the sudden impact, before awkwardly patting the child's back, "I believe it is time for sleep." Severus said gruffly and led the child to a small room near his own. Looking over the boy's baggy and worn clothes with disdain he quickly shrunk one of his own night shirts and helped Harry into it. Severus had to contain another rush of anger as he saw the mottled bruises striping the boy's back. After Harry was tucked into bed, Severus went to his own room and threw a pinch of floo powder into the hearth, "Albus Dumbledore," he stated clearly. The headmaster appeared sitting in an overstuffed chair with a small glass of cordial, "Severus?" he asked clearly perplexed. "Headmaster, you need to come to my house. We have something particular to discuss." With that Severus broke the floo connection and waited.
Minutes later Albus Dumbledore stepped out of his fireplace with a worried expression in his normally jovial eyes, "What is it Severus?" he asked gravely. Severus sat down in one of the worn wingback chairs while Dumbledore sat opposite him. "I seem to have acquired and urchin," he answered, "An urchin that you have some acquaintance with." Dumbledore regarded the severe potions master for a long moment, "Severus, you intrigue me. As I'm fairly certain that none of my great grand children are missing I'm not certain who you are talking about." Severus' lips curved into a smirk, "By all means, Headmaster, let us go see him." With that Severus gracefully stood and strode out the door. Both men moved through the dark and musty hall way, up a flight of rickety stairs and stood before the door to Severus' spare room. Severus quietly opened the door to reveal the small form of Harry, sprawled across the bed in an untidy heap.
Dumbledore's lips tightened into a thin line as his penetrating gaze took in the malnourished form, "What happened to him?" Severus shrugged, "The muggles that you sent him to live with didn't seem to care for the arrangement and took it out on the boy. I don't know how he got to Spinners End but I found him in the alley near my house."
"Thank you for your quick action Severus. I know that you value your privacy. I shall try to remove him to a suitable home as soon as possible."
Severus made a non-comitial noise in the back of his throat then turned his eyes back to the elderly wizard, "What will you do about the muggles?" he enquired. Professor Dumbledore quietly closed the bedroom door and regarded his Potions Master with weary eyes. "I cannot bring the ministry into this. The Prime Minister's popularity has been falling of late and he would seize upon this to bolster his support, probably by making Harry a ward of the state."
Severus' nostril's flared in agitation. "You cannot mean to give him back to those sadistic imbeciles," he stated flatly.
Albus gave the younger man a disapproving glance, "Surely your opinion of me cannot have fallen so far. There are multiple problems to deal with here. Harry is still in danger from the remaining Death Eaters. And I am by no means assured that Voldemort is truly gone. I will have to find a wizarding family that is both able to protect him and trustworthy to adopt him. Considering his relatives' abuse I don't believe it will be difficult to convince them to relinquish custody." Albus considered for several long moments before addressing the dower man before him, "I understand that you are by nature a solitary man but I must ask an imposition of you. As yet, you and I are the only ones that know of Harry's whereabouts. We cannot afford for this to become general knowledge, therefore I cannot take him back to Hogwarts during the school year. With so many students it would be impossible to hide him for long. Until I am able to locate a suitable family would you be willing to care for him? I can split your teaching duties among the other staff and any expenses of the child will be handled by the school."
Severus considered this. Although he was not normally fond of children, he found very few objections to this particular child. And there was the life-debt that he owed to James. This would certainly qualify to discharge it. "I don't believe that I am the best candidate for this job but as usual there is no one else. I shall monitor the child," he agreed.