Chapter One
Papers were scattered across the desk, newspaper clippings, letters and odd bits and bobs were read before being tossed carelessly aside. It was not good, not good at all as Dumbledore tried to puck out the information, to see in between the lines of these separate, almost meaningless events to see the bigger picture, the over lining plot that just lay beyond his reach.
Resting his wearily head into his hands, he sighed. Picking up the muggle paper, The Sun, he stared at the title about a beast attack in the Derbyshire dales; the muggles claimed it was possibility a big cat escape from a private owner but Dumbledore knew the truth. Any wizard or witch could plainly see that this was werewolf attack. That was not the question, the question was why? Why had the attacks started again? Vampires in Scotland, Werewolves in Derbyshire, Giants in the south and all other manners of foul creatures are coming out of the wood works … Separate attacks, nothing links them together unless…
Of course, Dumbledore cursed himself. How could he be so blind? So slow! Everything had happen since them, since Harry's had stop Voldemort with the Philosopher's Stone. Could it be that… Surely the…
Knock, Knock, Knock.
"Come in," Dumbledore glanced once at the door before vanishing all his papers. His train of thought was gone now, lost but the pattern remains. Only one thing could be happening. Merlin, help them if he was right. The magical world had gone soft, grown compliance in the times of peace. Could they cope with this sort of darkness again?
"Headmaster," said Serves Snape as he pushed open the door and sat down opposite the headmaster. Snape could not help but notice how tried the head master looked; everyone of his lines seem deep engraved on his face, echoing the stress, worry even that swam in his blue eyes. Thinking about it, Snape could not remember the last time he saw the Head master smile or relax, his stomach clenched uncomfortably as he guessed that he was not summoned up here for just a friendly chat. Not that Snape did friendly chats any way. "You wanted to see me?"
"Thank you for coming Severus," Dumbledore seem to shrink before Snape's eye as he allowed himself to relax. "My mind is in chaos at the moment, utter chaos. So many strands, so many unseen links but still I fear it points to the same thing. There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from this muddle of information. Do you not see?"
"See what Headmaster?" asks Snape as he looked at the random clipping, letters and thrown pieces of paper, trying to see the connection that the Headmaster thought was so clear, so easy to spot. "I do not understand."
"The serpents council had awaken"
Snape would never forget the way those five words changed anything. Even the lights, flickering from the candles seem to shrink, wind began to howl a bit more and the pleasing warm that beat down from the sun grew distant and cold. A shiver travelled down his spine, fear. Fear of what this would mean, the headmaster cannot be right, not about this.
"Impossible," whispered Snape, he refused to meet the Headmaster eyes. "The dark lord is the only one how can summon the council, he is their leader, their-"
"I believe his attempt at trying to take the Philosopher's Stone, has awaken them," said Dumbledore as he moved to look out across the window; almost as if he was speaking to himself he carried on in such a soft, trouble tone that Snape had to strain to catch what he was saying. "They know he is still alive, worse they know that he trying to return to them more powerful than before."
"What must we do?"
"For now, nothing," said Dumbledore simply as he moved away from the window to face Snape. "There is nothing we can do but prepare for the worse. I will call the order into action; we will begin gathering information and take necessary precaution. Severus that is not why I have asked you to come here. I have another worry."
"What?" demanded Snape, what could be worse then the Servant council? What fate could be troubling the Headmaster more than the plague of evil that spread across the land the last time the council was present? The murdered, tortured and did… Well, nightmarish thing.
"Harry-"
"Potter! What does that Potter Brat have to do with me?" Snape was furious, there this real problem, an evil trying to leak across this land and the Headmaster wanted to discuss his bloody golden boy. Bloody Potter! "I thought I was rid of that pest for the summer"
"Severus really! You cannot continue with this blinded hate for a child; I understand you were not on the best terms with his father-"
"Best terms!" If anyone else had said that Snape would have laugh best terms! After all the bullying, the hatred and after everything not being on best terms was putting it lightly, very lightly. "That man was arrogant, a determined rule breaker, attention-seeking and nothing but a bully! His son is just the same-"
"Enough!" said the headmaster as he swept himself back into the chair, closing his weary eyes. Glancing at the clock, he sighed. "We do not have enough time for this. I have told you before that you will see what you want to see Severus. I have call you here Severus because I trust you, not for you to focus on the past. This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion."
Snape nods. How does the headmaster do that? Even now as a man in his thirties, Dumbledore can still scold him and make him feel like a child. He is far too old to made to feel like a naughty child.
"I believe I have made a mistake"
"What?!"
"I placed Harry at his relatives, thinking that the blood wards would protect him from all outside harm," said the head master as he began moving the paper around, seeming troubled with one newspaper in particular. "As long as Harry was able to call Privet Drive his home then Voldemort- Shiver- and his loyal followers would not be able to touch him. Lily's protection would remain."
Lily… Snape refused to think of her here, not now. He cannot think of Harry's as Lily's. He is James Potter's child through and through. "Is something wrong with the blood wards?"
"No," said the headmaster, as he finally lifted his eyes away from the paper to stare intently at Snape. "They are working perfectly and they would keep out every witch and wizard."
"I do not understand-"
"Blood wards do not work against Vampire Severus"
"Bring the boy here then, vampires cannot get into Hogwarts."
"Voldemort- Shiver- can," said Headmaster finally filling the silence that grew between them. "He has already proven capable of getting into Hogwarts ground and even though our youngest see Hogwarts as their home, they need an outside haven. Harry needs somewhere highly protected, warded against every type of creature and magic. Somewhere only a few people can get-"
"No!" shouted Snape as it suddenly dawned upon Snape what the head master wanted, why he had been summoned and why he was being told that. "Headmaster you cannot ask me to do this!"
"Princes' manor is the safest place in Britain," said The headmaster as he looked closely at Snape. "Your grandfather ensure that Severus. I do not know what else to do. Please I ask of you as a favour to an old man that needs just a few more minutes and to an old friend."
"Fine," snapped Snape, what else could he do? What other choice was there? The boy was foolish enough to wander straight into the viper's pit for goodness sake. "But I will not spoil the boy Albus, he will learn to mind me and you can explain it to the ministry!"
"I already have thought of that and filled in the paper work," smiled the headmaster. "Harry can take out an apprenticeship with you. I will let the two of you work of the details and fine print."
XxXxXx
It had been exactly 1 week, 4 days, 8 hours and 23 minutes since Harry had returned home from his first year at Hogwarts and he had hated every single minute that had slowly ticked pass, wanting nothing more to return to the magical world where he truly belonged.
Harry was not having a good summer so far, but if anyone had told him that by the end of this evening he would be homeless, dragging all his worldly possessions behind in in his battered trunk and protesting Hedwig whose cage rocked violently with very pull and twist of the trunk, then Harry would have laughed at them.
Surely his relatives are not perfect but they would not throw out a 12 year old boy to defend for himself at this time of night. Everything had gone from bad to worse to downright awful, he had tried to complete all his chores; the cooking, cleaning and gardening but he was just too tried, too weak from the pitiful food he had been given. Hogwarts had spoilt him, letting him eat what he wanted, having 2nds and 3rds even before returning to his life of scraps and cold cuts, he should have realised what was waiting for him. Still at least he would have warm bed if not for the house elf.
Why would a house elf do that to him? He had not done anything wrong; he just wants to return to Hogwarts! Was that such a crime? After his uncle had shown his.. erm, displeasure, like a man possess he had grabbed every last one of Harry's possessions, throwing without care of the door, screaming at him, with his vein pulsing out of his neck, to leave and never darken their doorway again. Ignoring his teary nephew Vernon had grabbed the scruff of his shirt and thrown him brutally out of the door. Slamming the door shut behind him, Vernon did not spare the boy even a glance as he abandoned him to the wolves.
Shocked, stunned into a silence, Harry just stared at the doors with large teary eyes, trying to decide whether to risk knocking or not, it was Hedwig's shriek that snapped him out of his glaze as he quickly began gathering his stuff with trembling fingers. Where could he go? Who could he turn to? The weasley's? Hermonie? He had no idea whether either of them lived; maybe he could send a letter out with Hedwig but what if that took hours, days even? It was hopeless…
That was how he found himself pounding the pavement, not that he gotten very far. Not really planning anything, he was surprised to find himself at the park, he hated this park, and it held nothing but bad memoires and painful bruises for him. He could count on his one hand the amount of time he had been here and each time had resulted in bullying, bruises and just the once, when Dudley was feeling truly rotten, a few broken bones. At least now it had a bench, maybe he could curl up on one for the night and return to the Dursley in the morning, hoping that they might have changed their mind.
Wriggling to get comfortable on the cold, damp bench Harry battled against the tears that threaten to spill down his cheek, curling up as small as possible he tried to ignore the chill of the evening wind and cold rain that slammed into him. It was going to be a long night. A long cold night as he tried to stop his sniffling, it would not help him, crying never does.
XxXxXx
With a grumble Snape stood at the end of privet drive, his cape bellowing behind him as he storm down the street, mumbling as he set about collecting the boy. A portkey in on hand, his mind thinking on a spell he needed to use on the boy's family and a determination to do this as quick and painless as possible. Searching for the bit of paper that the headmaster had loving scribble the boy's address Snape just wanted to return to his manor, shut Potter up for the night and deal with this all in the morning, he still cannot believe that he was going to do this. Potter as an apprentice. What had he done to deserve that?
A loud scream ripped through the air, a scream that Snape had heard once before, the same night that three students tried to take on a mountain troll… Potter!