Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author's Note: From reviews, it appears there's some confusion. Dumbledore is not 'evil'. He's just not prioritizing the same way Harry is, and is not into sharing whatever he knows or what he may have done even in an 18 year old body. Also, young Severus was rather bratty, rude, and caused physical injury. Also, Severus Snape knows exactly who he is and who he doesn't want to hold him to the promise of 'anything' for another lifetime. Harry's stuck in the middle and trying his best with what little he knows.

Chapter 11

Harry was all sorts of shades of embarrassed.

Severus was on bed rest at the Burrow, which meant the boy couldn't escape from Hermione, her wand, books, and parchment quickly filling with notes.

After Harry thought he got a break for Severus from Hermione, Ron played a game of chess with Severus. In case Ron's shouts of triumph only reached as far as the Lovegood household, Ron won.

Hermione rejoined them to check on all the commotion and pulled her head back as Ron's arm raised again. She said, "You aren't setting a very good example. It was only a game of chess."

"Yeah, but I beat him."

"He's a child, Ron."

"I won!"

Harry butted in, "Maybe we should let Severus get some rest."

"I can sit here and work quietly," Hermione suggested. "I wanted to look up-"

"Can't you do that downstairs?"

Ron pranced to the door, arms still raised, cheering less heartily, yet still cheering.

Someone must have been outside on the stairs, or at least Harry hoped there was, as Ron crowed, "I beat him!"

Harry turned to Severus. "Don't let that get to you. Ron's really happy you're back and feeling better."

Severus didn't say anything to contradict him, but Harry could read his facial expression. Severus wasn't fooled.

Harry wasn't fooled either. He wasn't doing a good job at being the adult. But now he can at least consider he was ahead of Ron at this adulting thing.

He asked Severus, "You okay? Need anything?"

The boy shook his head.

Severus watched the golden trio leave.

Having all three in the room with him had been tiring. Granger kept examining him, nearly poking him in the eye with her wand multiple times as she prodded at him with her expectation of unraveling the mystery that he had become. Why was he alive? Why was he younger? Frankly, Severus didn't think it was Dumbledore or else the old fool would take credit. Gryffindors couldn't let their cleverness go unproclaimed.

Sort of like Severus letting Ron Weasley win a game of chess. He wasn't a bad player, but he was a terrible winner.

Hermione spread her parchment and books over the kitchen table while Harry listened to Ron give a move-by-move recap of his chess game to anyone who would listen.

Ginny finally said, "He let you win."

"What? No," Ron denied. "I could tell he wasn't doing that."

"What do you think, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Um, I wasn't giving the game that much attention," he admitted. "Ron won, and that's that."

"You didn't notice how I lured his knight in, or the move with my queen?" Ron asked.

"Not particularly. And you keep forgetting he's not feeling well."

Ron frowned. "Maybe."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's faking."

Harry didn't feel like arguing over that again. If the shoe was on the other foot, and Harry was a little kid with his memories and Snape adopted him, which was as likely as Harry adopting Severus, Harry didn't think he'd put up with playing house with Snape for this long. And there was all that time Snape had spent at the orphanage, rather than escaping and striking out on his own. Everybody sort of thought the worst of Severus, when there was no proof he had done anything.

Though Ron seemed to have been won over now that he beat Severus at a game of chess.

Hermione pulled her quills and ink away from Ron. "Why don't you set up the actual chess board in the next room to show whatever you did to someone that wasn't there?"

"You know I might be able to get the pieces to replay the game," Ron mused.

Hermione nodded till Ron exited the kitchen.

She then asked, "Have you interviewed any tutors?"

"Not yet," Harry said. "I thought you could help with that. I'm not sure what he doesn't know and needs to learn."

Hermione held up a school report from the orphanage, "He's fine for Hogwarts according to this. But he's not old enough."

"I don't know if I should send Severus to Hogwarts if Dumbledore's still there."

"Prof. McGonagall's –"

"Not going to do much. Even though he attacked Severus outside of Hogwarts, here at the Burrow, that doesn't mean he won't harass him at school. And it's not like Severus can't take Transfiguration. What if he turns him into a ferret and starts bouncing him around to shake up his memories next time?"

"That was a Death Eater in disguise."

"Crouch didn't make Malfoy piss himself."

Ginny groaned, "Why do you keep bringing that up?"

"Because that's the only thing that seems to strike a chord with anyone. No one seems to think a bloody nose and possible brain damage is any big deal so I have to keep mentioning peeing his pants."

"I think it's terrible," Hermione said while shuffling parchment.

"I don't," Ginny disagreed. "If he didn't end up thinking he was clever this time around, he might not kill anyone."

"I don't think Dumbledore's got a grudge with Severus over that. He said he asked Snape to kill him." Harry gasped, "Wait, do you think that whatever he had Snape do to him that kind of killed him, though I'm not sure how he survived the fall and got young, is something he's trying to stop Severus from telling anyone? That's why he's obsessed with either checking his memories or hurting him so badly that he won't be able to tell anyone what he remembers?"

Ginny made a face at him. "He's driving you crazy. Listen to yourself."