Disclaimer: No, I have not managed to gain the rights to Harry Potter...but I will...eventually...

Still ignoring HBP...

Sorry I took so long to update...I've been dealing with oneshot plotbunnies and making my way through college.

/.../ thinking

"..." speaking

... parseltongue

Ch 3-July 31st

July 31st

Harry woke to Dudley beating him. Uncle Vernon came in a little later and started helping his son beat Harry. After a little while Uncle Vernon made Dudley leave, and started to tie up Harry before beating him worse than before and raping him.

By the time it was over Harry's left arm and right leg were both broken. He had at least two broken ribs. He had cuts and bruises everywhere. He also had a concussion.

The pain being too much, be passed out, still tied up on his bed.

Severus woke to find Dumbledore waiting for him. Rushing to get dressed (in his usual-black on black on black) he went to greet the headmaster.

"Ah, Severus. Ready?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll show you which on it is." (He knows the street, not the house number)

They go to Hogsmead, and from there apparate to Privet Drive. Dumbledore leads Snape to number four.

"I'll leave you to talk to him. If you need me I will be in my office."

With that Dumbledore disapparated.

/Well, may as well get it over with./

With that thought Snape knocked on the door. The door was opened by the fattest boy he had ever seen. The boy stared at him.

"I'm here to speak with Harry Potter."

The boy gaped at him for a moment before turning from the door.

"DAD! Someone's here for the freak!"

Snape raised an eyebrow at this.

/Freak/

A fat man came to the door.

"What do you want?"

"I came to speak to Harry Potter."

"He can't talk; he's a little tied up at the moment."

The boy started laughing when his father said this.

Snape looked at them for a moment before he decided what to do.

He pulled out his wand. He didn't point it at anything, just held it. The boy's eyes stayed on it while the man's face turned red as his eyes flicked to it.

"You are going to bring me to Harry, willingly or no."

"I thought I made it clear, I want no more of you freaks here."

"Unwillingly then." He raised his wand.

"Dudley, show him the boy's room."

Dudley led Snape upstairs, stopping before a door with several locks on it, all of them locked from that side.

"He's in there."

As soon as Dudley said this he ran off.

/Why do they have all of these locks on the door? Harry isn't dangerous./

Unlocking the door he walked inside, completely unprepared for what lay in the room.

He always thought Harry was spoiled. This proved him wrong in one shot.

Harry was tied to his bed and unconscious. He was much too thin, his ribs too visible. He was bruised all over. Cuts covered every inch of his body except his face. There was blood on Harry, on the bed, and on the floor.

"Merlin... How could they have done this?"

In that second he decided he was getting Harry out of there.

He untied Harry, taking off his cloak to wrap the boy in it. Finding Harry's trunk, he shrunk it and stuck it in his pocket. Picking Harry up he headed for the front door, wanting nothing more to do with this place for the moment. Though once Harry was with Poppy... Severus smirked. These muggles would never know what hit them.

"Where are you going with him?"

The fat muggle was back.

"I'm taking him away from here."

"Good. You can keep him. Good for nothing brat. I never want him back here again."

With that the man closed the door behind Severus.

/Good thing I brought a portkey just in case./

He activated the portkey. It brought them straight to Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore and McGonagall stared in shock for a moment after Severus landed in the office, Harry in his arms.

"Severus, why-" was as far as Dumbledore got before McGonagall interrupted him.

"Merlin, Severus, what happened to him?"

"His relatives. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to bring him to the Hospital Wing. After that I'll come back and explain."

With that he strode out of the office.

When he came back Dumbledore was the first to speak.

"Severus, if you'd explain...?"

"Yes, Albus. When I went I practically had to threaten his relatives into bringing me to him. I was lead to a door covered in locks. When I opened the door I found him. He was tied to his bed, much the same way as he was when I got here. I untied him and wrapped him in my cloak. His uncle said they don't want him back, and after finding him like that I don't want him to go back."
Neither Albus nor McGonagall were surprised at that. Both knew of Severus' past and his abusive father.

"So will you be taking him in?"

"I don't know, Albus. It depends on how things go when I tell him."

Now McGonagall was confused.

"What-?"

"Severus received some interesting news two days ago."

"I got a delayed letter from Lily telling me that Harry is my son/"

"But she was married to James!"

"That was her cover, incase something happened. They were not in love. Unfortunately I was away when she found out, and had been for some time. I jumped to conclusions and left her. We were supposed to talk the day after she was killed. She was planning to tell me then."

Minerva stared in shock.

"Now, Minerva, Albus, I'm going to go watch over my son so that I can talk to him when he wakes up."

"Ok...oh, Severus?"

"Yes, Albus?"

"Don't do anything to the muggles."

/Damn./

After he left, McGonagall turned to Dumbledore.

"Did you know about this?"

"I found out shortly after Severus did, having apparated to his manor just as he finished reading the letter from Lily."

"Ah. I think I'm going to go now."

She walked out, firmly intending to check on Harry before she went home. Upon reaching the Hospital Wing she found Severus next to the bed Harry was on. Poppy was nowhere in sight. She walked in.

"How is he?"

"Better, physically. Though Poppy said he'd be unconscious for a bit. Mentally I don't know. They beat him and starved him. Poppy said there's also evidence that he was raped."

"Merlin. Well, I suggest you do what you can to help him, even telling him of your own experiences if it'll help. You're the only one with any idea what he's been through."

"Now he just needs to wake up."

She left the Hospital Wing.

/Well, this is a change. Harry is Severus' son. That was enough of a shock that I don't think Severus realizes how easy it is to read his worry for Harry./

With that, McGonagall left Hogwarts.

And there's chapter three

Next chapter: Harry wakes up, father/son talking, and getting ready for the Feast.

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