Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just the plot.

A/N: well this is my attempt at Severitus's challenge. I hope that you all enjoy it. Remember I thrive on reviews; they are what help keep me motivated. I am still working on my other story so don't panic. Now, on with the story.

Chapter 1: Save Me

Harry Potter savior of the Wizarding world, dubbed The-Boy-Who-Lived was curled in a tight ball on the floor in front of his bed. Blood stained his clothes and the floor around him. One thought kept running repeatedly through his head in a never-ending mantra.

He was going to die.

Not at the hands of the Dark Lord as many would think, but at the hands of his family. Not that many would consider such people as family, he sure didn't and he wished that he had never been placed with such a biased family of ignorant muggles.
The Dursley's hated Harry for one simple reason, Harry was a wizard.

Vernon Dursley believed that this simple fact gave him all the right in the world to beat his nephew within an inch of his life. After all why would he treat a freak with any compassion or kindness.
Until Harry was 11 years old he had been thrown into a small cupboard under the stairs. Harry spent the majority of his short childhood in that cupboard with only the spiders as his friends. All of that changed slightly for the better when he received a letter on his eleventh birthday, one that changed his whole life, his acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

Things seemed to get better for a while, that was until his uncle found out that he couldn't use magic outside of school. Then things started going down hill from there. It was worse now than it had ever been. And this was were Harry found himself a couple of weeks into his summer holiday, nearly beaten to death by his uncle.

Harry couldn't breath properly because several of his ribs had been broken constricting is breathing. He could barely move, his shattered leg and arm prevented him from moving to try and send for help. And then if things were not bad enough already, his 'family' had decided that he no longer needed to be fed he was given only a small amount of water each day. Just enough to keep him from being dehydrated but not enough that it would quench his thirst.

His last meal had been at the end of the year feast at Hogwarts and that had been about a month ago. At least that was what Harry had thought. He couldn't remember what day it was let alone how long ago it had been when he was at Hogwarts. Harry felt the tears gathering in his eyes.

He would probably never see the school again. He would be dead by the time that the new term would begin, and by the time that someone would realize that he was not at school it would have been too late. Harry let the tears flow freely from his eyes.

All the sudden Harry felt something warm on his neck. He opened the one eye that wasn't swelled shut and seen that Hedwig had brought him a scrap of parchment and stub of a pencil. She hooted softly trying to comfort him. With his severely mangled hand he managed to scribble a barely legible sentence before he passed out.

Hedwig picked up the paper in her beak and started for the flap in the door. She was just about ready to push her way through when she heard the heavy unmistakable footsteps of Vernon headed toward the room.

The owl quickly hid under the bed in the darkest and farthest corner. Form that vantage point she saw the pig of a man kick Harry a couple times more in the ribs and then several swift kicks to the side of his head.

Harry remained still and was eerily silent.

Hedwig waited until the door clicked shut again and the footsteps fade into the other side of the house before she moved from her hiding spot. She waddled back to the door and with a glance behind her at her master she pushed out of the flap into the hallway.

The quickest window to get to would probably be the bathroom window.

At 1:30 in the morning a white owl with blood spattered onto its body slipped into the night heading for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizarding in hopes that it would reach someone in time to save her Harry.

A silent figure walked briskly through the darkened and empty halls of Hogwarts. Severus Snape had just returned from a meeting with the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore where he had been updated on the progress
of finding a new Minister of Magic. The pompous ass that was in office now was a joke.

Cornelius Fudge would be the end to the Wizarding world if he were allowed to continue being Minister. Everyone with half of a brain knew that Arthur Weasley was the one that should be rightfully the Minister but his love of Muggles things kept him happy where he was now. Severus knew that if Arthur were asked to step in he would be happy.

Merlin knows that he would be paid better. And he was one that could really use a better paying job.

Severus was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't see the owl that came barreling toward him until it was too late.

A pure white owl flew into him and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Severus alarmed at what had happened kneeled down to look at the owl to see if it was hurt. He saw blood smeared on one side of its wing but could not find the source of the injury. He looked at the owl again and froze.

This was Potter's owl.

Severus looked down at the owl's legs to see if there were any messages but the legs were bare. The owl that up to this point had been relatively still tried to stand but fell back over exhausted from its trip it lifted its head and dropped a small scrape of parchment into Severus's hand.

He carefully opened the message and read the single sentence.

'Someone please save me.'

Severus felt his heart plummet; he needed to get to Albus.

Something terrible has happened to Harry.

He just hoped that they were not too late.

Severus gathered the owl back into his arms, turned around and ran back toward Albus's office. He reached the stone gargoyle in a matter of seconds and breathlessly wheezed the password,

"Skittles."

The gargoyle rolled around to reveal a set of narrow steps. Not knowing if his feet ever touched the stone steps he reached the top and flung the door open.

A stunned Albus Dumbledore stood up quickly from behind his desk and rushed to Severus who was trying to take a deep breath. "What is the matter Severus," he asked seeing the bloody owl in his arms. "Whose owl is that and what happened to it?"

Severus was finally able to choke out, "Potter is in trouble." He handed Albus the small note.

Albus quickly read the note and rushed over to the fireplace. He threw in a handful of powder and quickly said "Minerva, come to my office immediately!"

In a matter of seconds Minerva McGonagall came through the fireplace with a very grim look on her face.

"Albus, what's wrong, what happened?" she looked around the office and her gaze rested on the white owl. "It's Harry isn't it?" she said hoping that she was wrong.

Albus said nothing but nodded his head; "You and Severus are to leave immediately for 4 Private Drive in Surrey. I just hope that this trip will not be in vain."

The three nodded solemnly and the two turned and hurried out the door leaving the wizened old wizard alone with his worries.