Chapter 12

When Harry woke up the next morning, he followed the usual procedure. Lavatory, get dressed, hair then food. When he made his way to the kitchen he was surprised to find Severus Snape alone drinking what looked like a cup of tea and eating bacon and eggs. Kreacher entered the room and looked up at Harry curiously then walked solemnly away. Harry smelled Snape's bacon and his stomach made an obnoxiously loud gurgling noise that had gained the attention of the potions master.

"Hungry this morning I see. Maybe you can threaten the rat into making you a batch. Doubt it though, bugger hates muggle born's. "

Snape smirked at this and waited for the show to begin where Harry would fight with Kreacher for breakfast.

Harry looked at Kreacher and thoughtlessly said

"Can you please make me breakfast?"

Kreacher grudgingly nodded his head and walked to the other side of the kitchen to prepare Harry's breakfast without debate. Snape just stared in amazement then angrily spit out

"WHAT! I bloody argued with him for hours and you- you…..unbloody fair I tell you. A disgrace…"

Snape gathered his breakfast and moved to the living quarters for some soundness. Kreacher looked up at Harry when everyone was gone.

"Is Kreacher supposed to keep Harry Potter's identity a secret?" Harry gasped.

"SHHHHHH! Wait, how did you know? Yes it's a secret!"

Harry in a panic began watching the doors of the kitchens hoping no one overheard.

"Kreacher has magic too and after that no good black passed Kreacher is forced into the Potter brat's ownership. Kreacher wishes to be with the new mistress but only if the Potter brat allows it" Kreacher hissed.

"SHHHHHHH! Look you're stuck with me. I don't quite trust you with her. Now listen closely because this is an order. You are to keep my identity a secret. You will call me Simon, if you prefer just call me that guy or something but do not call me by Harry Potter. Do you understand?"

Harry spoke quickly and quietly hoping for a miracle.

"Kreacher understands, BUT Kreacher refuses to help out the filthy mudblood girl." Kreacher made the breakfast in peace then left the kitchen to go polish some of his previous mistresses belongings.

Severus had done as Albus had requested and kept the Granger family and Dursley family safe. Now, he would do what the dark lord had asked and relay a special message back to them. He became quite curious when he heard the dark lord speak of them.

What deal had the Dursley's made with the dark lord? He hated muggles. You would think the Dursley's would be at the top of his hit list what with being muggles and related to Potter. He wandered down a few halls and made it to their room. He knocked once and entered a moment later.

Upon entering, he saw the two large men over by a fireplace playing cards and Petunia was lying on her bed, reading a book. The three looked up and saw Severus. Vernon's face looked red from holding his temper. Severus expected the man to be annoyed by his appearance.

"I have a message from the dark lord to you. He said to "Tell them, it has been an interesting experience to work aside a muggle but the end has come and our contract has expired". Now tell me, what does that mean, and why would the dark lord waste his time working aside a muggle? Keep in mind, that if you don't tell me, I do have my ways of getting it out of you. I am not like the others and if I must become nasty…well, let's just say I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

Vernon's face paled and he looked at Petunia who also looked as if she had become ill. Dudley looked at them a bit curiously. "Mum? Dad? What's he talking about? You only said you were pranking Harry. What would you want to do with someone like that …but…What did you do?"

Dudley for the first time looked sincere in his concern for Harry. "Popkin, this is between us dear. Why don't you go play outside with the children for a bit, hmm? Might be fun to get away from this stuffy room anyhow."

Dudley did as his mother said and left the room but instead of going out to play, he stayed in the hall where he could listen to their discussion undisturbed.

Severus shut the door and locked it incase anyone wanted to walk in. Then looked at Vernon expectantly. Vernon nodded and said

"We agreed to live. We did what we could to help our son survive, not that your kind would know about such things. Your world is based on destruction. You know nothing about family, about love. We did what we could to help your Potter boy when Dumbledore first sent us the boy. Leaving us that bloody talking letter nearly gave me a heart attack. Well, we took him in as our own…But he wasn't our own. That summer, we got another letter. A more dangerous letter. Your lord Volder-whatsit-er... He threatened my family. Said he'd come for the boy if we didn't hand him over. The boy is alive. Faked his death and came running back to us. We couldn't have him in our home, couldn't put my family in risk. Hell if I cared about the brat at all. Bloody boy was always hanging around in strange places. Watching the news…Unlike any other child I knew. Just so bloody…unnormal. We decided we would do what we could to make the boy leave our home. Pretended to help him and got him an apartment! Well, I just had a bloody 'nough of that business and talked to that bloke moldervort or vondersort or whatever his bloody name was and told him to take the boy. Gave him Harry's recent address and called it a bloody day. Probably at the boys house lookin' for him now! Good bloody riddance I say."

Severus face first went pale and then red from pure anger. He couldn't believe it. Harry Potter…was alive. If the dark lord hasn't already killed him that is…He had blamed himself all these years. But if potter wasn't dead, then whose body was that that he had seen. Why had Potter run away? And what kind of bloody family had the boy been living with anyway. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He was stuck on whether he should tell Dumbledore or kill them and hide the bodies.

He decided it would be best not to say anything. If Potter had a plan, then telling the man that wanted to baby Potter his whole life would be the worst thing to do. Potter could have escaped and now was close to killing the dark lord. For now he would keep it secret, and he would make the Dursley's keep it secret.

He wondered if Simon was in on it. He felt slightly betrayed. He thought he knew the man well enough but then again, he thought he knew Potter. He decided to erase the Dursley's minds of ever speaking to the dark lord. It wouldn't do to have them blabbing like they had just now. But now, he had new means to talk to Simon. He wanted to know how much the man really knew.

He wouldn't make it obvious though. He decided to befriend the man. Earn his trust then he would ask. Shouldn't be too hard. The man didn't seem to be too bright although he had hidden the fact that he was a wizard to begin with. Severus refused to be fooled a second time. Severus left the family dazed and headed to the kitchen.

Just at that moment he looked over and saw Simon sitting in the dining room with what looked like the best set of eggs and bacon he had laid eyes on. Kreacher definitely grew to like the man. He decided what better than to start right away. Severus walked into the dining room and took the seat across from the boy. His blood was boiling but he tried to control it. He put his mask in place and grabbed a newspaper to look like he was busy.

Harry looked up noticing the newspaper. It had been a while since he had read any of the wizard papers. He sincerely missed his adventures with Ron and Hermione after they had read the paper and found some extraordinary piece of evidence crucial to one of their investigations. Harry's stomach panged at the guilt. He had purposely ignored Hermione and he hadn't seen Ron but he hoped he'd be able to see them as Harry soon.

As his mind began to wander a certain potions master sat across from him and opened the paper on the table. There was another one at the other end but he didn't quite feel like getting up. So he looked at Snape to see if he would notice then using wandless magic, commanded the paper to his hand. Snape had clearly noticed it by the impressed look on his face. Harry pretended not to see it and continued to eat his breakfast.

"Tell me, Dursley. Where did you study? Snape sneered.

Harry accidentally swallowed an egg whole and then after clearing it said

"I didn't. I taught myself. I have been hiding my magic all my life as you can guess why. Not exactly the winning family trait to have is it?"

Snape looked at him curiously. "Then how did you get that paper to you without using a wand? And how as a child did you not blow anything up?"

Harry looked at Snape and smiled at the questions.

"Sir, I used wandless magic. And who's to say that as a child I didn't blow anything up? Also, if you are trying to make friendly conversation, I believe an interrogation is probably not the way to go. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go outside for some air. Perhaps visit a few shops. You're welcome to join if you'd like."

Harry got up and waited for Snape's answer. This was Harry's way of being nice to the man. After all, he had chosen Snape to be the one to watch him die. He had placed a burden on the man and owed him at least one happy moment. Snape appeared to be watching him to catch the hidden intent.

"Fine Dursley, I'll go. "

Harry smiled from ear to ear and said "My name is Simon."

Snape looked at him with a dead faced emotion.

"Beg your pardon?"

Harry repeated, " My name is Simon and if you wish to come along, then I expect you can agree to be on a first name basis."

Snape's face went pale. Harry knew Snape disliked being close to anyone enough to call them by first name. He may have called McGonagall Minerva but it was usually out of spite on the quidditch field.

Harry let Snape meet him at the front door after they both gathered their belongings. Once there, they were about to leave for some shops.

"I have one shop in particular that we need to go to. Any chance you'd be willing to go there first?" Severus inquired.

Harry nodded and they walked to the sidewalk when Snape held out his hand.

"Well, well professor, seems we've jumped from just friendly shopping together to nonsense hand holding. Doesn't seem like you at all."

Harry smirked. He knew Snape's reaction would be humorous.

"No you idiot. We have to apparate there. Bloody git. Take my hand and we can be there already. You'd think the idiot that was smart enough for wandless magic would be smart enough for apparating."

Harry smiled even more that Snape had been able to insult and compliment him at the same time. The man never seized to amaze Harry.

Snape had ended up taking Harry to Diagon alley. It had been a while since Harry had been here. He followed Snape to a few shops and bought a few things he needed till they walked past the quidditch shop.

It had been so long since Harry had been able to fly. Snape noticed the look on his face and said

"Has it been a while since you've ridden one?"

Harry chuckled and remembered to keep himself as far away from Harry Potter as he could so he said

"Never ridden one."

Snape looked at him, nodded his head and they went inside. Harry had plenty of money for muggle possessions. But he had been away from the wizarding world for so long that he had never gone back for his inheritance. He also very well couldn't go walking into Gringott's with Snape next to him. Not only would the goblins blab about his being alive, but Snape might kill Harry for real.

They walked inside to look around and when Harry had begun to feel saddened by missing his favorite hobby, he told Snape he would wait outside. Moments later Snape joined him, carrying a long parcel. Harry eyed it curiously and decided not to ask about it. Later Snape had given the packages to an owl and had it delivered to their hideout.

They then continued the rest of their shopping in the muggle stores. Harry bought a few new pairs of pants. He loved being able to buy clothes. When he was Harry, he was forced to wear whatever Dudley had worn.

Most of it too big for him to fit. He was now able to wear clothes that not only felt good, but looked good too! Snape noticed his excitement for clothes and even his sense of style. Harry bought a few sweaters and then bought a few pumpkins.

"Why are you buying pumpkins?" Snape inquired with a raised brow.

"They're for the people at the house. I like Halloween and it's coming up. I'd like to be able to enjoy something while I'm under your version of witness protection."

Harry replied simply then continued looking for the best tools for cutting them. After being happy with what he had gotten, they made their way to a Halloween store. Harry bought a costume himself. He had even gotten one for Snape though he didn't let on. They left and Harry happily followed Snape back to the house.

"Well Professor Snape, You're credibility doesn't proceed you. I expected a bit more sulking on our adventure."

Harry grinned at his own joke and upon entering the house, Snape turned his head to Harry just before opening the door and said

"I suppose...in this case I could make an exception…You may call me Severus."