Dumbledore was having a small meeting in his office with a few key Order members when the alarm, for the wards set on the Dursley's, went off. Breaking off mid sentence he checked the wards. He was only slightly worried for the common pixie flew into them now and again. Also, Severus hadn't said anything about a possible attack on young Harry. However those comforting thoughts evaporated when he saw what triggered the wards. There was an incredibly powerful burst of magic from within the house.
Growing more worried than he had been initially, Dumbledore turned back to the Order members in his office. "We have a problem", he said calmly, too calmly for the comfort of the four other people in the room.
"Those were the wards on Potter's house, correct", asked Snape.
"Must I go? Why can't you send Black or Lupin , as he IS the mutt's godson.", Snape sneered, sending a glare in Sirius' direction.
"Yeah! Wh-", Sirius began but was swiftly silenced by Dumbledore holding up his hand.
"Young Harry may be in trouble and you are still a wanted man. You are also still recovering from Azkaban." Dumbledore once again raised his hand to stop the response he knew Sirius was about to shout. "I know it has been roughly three years since you escaped, however it still affects you. Now Severus here is already admitted by the wards and is readily equipped to deal with any situation that may arise. We, on the other hand, are wasting valuable time discussing this. Severus you must go now. You may use my floo, to save yourself the trek to the gates, and floo into the Three Broomsticks. I also ask you, once again, to remember that Harry is not his father."
Severus stood, and muttering something about spoiled teenagers, made his way to the fireplace knowing it was useless to put up a fight. He was a little worried about the situation though. The wards on Potter's house were already adjusted to Harry's accidental outbursts, so for this to set off the wards it would take extremely strong magic. Even stronger than the Dark Lord's.
He floo'd into Three Broomsticks. He hadn't fully hit the floor before he apperated to Surrey.
When Severus landed on Privet Drive, he was nearly knocked over by the wave of magic that hit him. All around him were muggles, who could sense something was wrong and were fleeing. He would have to come back later and modify their memories into thinking it was a gas leak or something else more muggle appropriate.
Shaking his head to clear it of these distracting thoughts, he returned to his assigned task. Something definitely wasn't right.
Turning towards Potter's house, number four, he paused. It was just a small muggle dwelling. Wasn't Potter supposed to live in a mansion, being spoiled rotten? It was then, that all those times Dumbledore said something about Harry just before Severus left, almost every day it was something. The most common was that Harry wasn't his father. The other that stuck with him right now, however, was: Harry was not raised as you believe him to have been. It is quite the opposite.
Now, standing on the Dursley's door step, he was forced to believe those words. But the phrase 'quite the opposite' were nagging him. Shaking his head once again, he made his way into the house.
Entering the house, Snape bypassed the kitchen and headed up the stairs. Glancing at the family pictures he noticed Harry was suspiciously absent from all of them. In fact, there wasn't a single photo of the boy. Reaching the top of the stairs Severus saw four doors. One was open and obviously a bathroom, two were close to the stairs and had widened doors. The last however was at the very end of the hall farthest from the other three doors was the last room. It had at least twenty different locks on the door and a cat flap. What was more unsettling was the empty food tray sitting just outside said cat flap. With a sense of dread Severus approached this door and unlocked it with a modified alohomora.
Entering the room, the first thing Severus noted was that it was small. Probably the smallest room in the house. The second thing he noticed was that there were blood stains on the carpet, some of it fresh. The third thing he noticed was that Harry Potter was beaten and bloody sprawled out on the bed. It was quite obvious he had just collapsed there.
Looking at the boy now, Severus felt concern and worry for the youth pierce his heart. Knowing it was futile to fight the emotions starting to stir, Severus thus decided he would try to redeem himself for the hate-filled years that were now wasted. None of that hatred was ever really for Harry in the first place. It was all the rage he had built up for the boy's deceased father, James. He had judged the boy on sight and now he regretted it. It wasn't arrogance that fueled this boy, but rather a spence of justice and mercy. The boy was abused and neglected and Severus had just made it worse.
"Never again. I will never intentionally harm this boy in any way again." And with that Severus picked up the too light teen, carried them to the edge of the wards, and apperated to the gates of Hogwarts.