Accidental Observation

Chapter 1

He was staring into the fire, thinking again. He did that on nights he wasn't called away. It had become a ritual for him many years ago. He had stopped it because for awhile he had been free. Free from the doubt, the fear, the torment. But the cause of that had returned, and as such, so had his ritual.

It was dark outside. Still hours before the sun would rise. No that you'd know that where he was.

He had a glass of firewhiskey in his hand and a nearly blank expression on his face. His eyes and the occasional breath were the only indicators that he was even alive.

Usually he thought about random things or fantasized. It was the only time he truly had to himself. Tonight though, was different. There was only one thing he could think about. Well, one person to be exact. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.

It had happened by chance, him observing certain practices regarding the boy's upbringing. What he had seen had completely appalled him and hat turned every notion he had about the boy on its ear.

He had left directly after witnessing the event, knowing he would have killed the man standing over Potter. He had thought about telling the Headmaster, but something stopped him. He wasn't quite sure what. It had something to do with the look on the boy's face when the switch had come down. It had been devoid of emotion even after he had been hit. It had been as if he wasn't even there.

He sighed and put the glass of firewhiskey on the table next to him. He dampened to fire and went to bed.

It was dark in his room. The only light was from a street lamp outside his window. He was numb for the moment, and happy for it.

He shifted a bit and felt the stinging pain from his back. He sighed quietly and rolled over onto his stomach. Uncle Vernon had been a bit harsher than normal, but he had had worse.

As he got up an owl flew in landed on the bed. It was almost raven like in appearance. He tried to offer it an owl treat when he removed the letter, but it just flew way. He spent a minute wondering about the sender, then opened it.

Potter,

I know about how your relatives treat you. Tell someone. Or I will.

SS

'Bloody hell,' he thought, 'A note from Snape? How did he know anyway?'

He settled down into bed and went to sleep.

It was his turn to watch the boy. He had tried to get out of it, but the Headmaster had not let him. He had a felling that Dumbledore knew something. He just didn't know what part he wanted him to play.

The boy was in the kitchen washing the dishes. He winced ever time he moved and seemed to have trouble extending his left arm its full length. There was a small cut above his lip but it could have come from anything. Overall, if he just stood sill, he looked like he was just a broody teenager that had forgotten to eat during a growth spurt.

The next little bit was entirely a coincidence. Harry was taking his shirt off exactly at the same time Snape was getting himself more comfortable. The invisibility cloak slipped down around his shoulders just as Harry's shirt cleared his head. At that exact instant Harry's eyes locked onto Snape just as Snape's eyes finished scanning his torso. Snape motioned for him to join him. He quickly finished the dishes and went to do the gardening.

"When did it start Potter?" Snape demanded.

"Before I can remember," he replied.

"It's been two weeks," he reminded him.

"It's not that big a deal," Harry stated.

"They could kill you," Snape informed him.

"They haven't succeeded yet and I've been through worse," Harry told hi.

They were silent for a little while. Snape was watching him again. This time really studying him. Harry didn't much care. He was waiting for the scathing remark. When it didn't come, he spoke up.

"Why are you even bothering? I know you don't care. If its such a problem why don't you tell Dumbledore?" he asked.

"I can't. It's your situation," he answered.

"More wizarding rules or you just being an ass?" Harry asked.

Snape didn't reply right away. Unbeknownst to Harry he had pulled out his wand and performed a small charm. A couple of the bruises faded and some of the visibly tense muscles relaxed.

"It's neither. And just because it's the summer holidays does not mean you can disrespect a professor," he said.

"Yes, sir," Harry replied.

"Boy quit talking to yourself. The neighbors will think it's not healthy. Any why haven't you finished the gardening? Get in the kitchen and cook lunch. Dudley will be home in an hour and a half. And don't you try to sneak any food. I'll know," a purple man lectured.

Harry nodded his head when necessary through out the speech. Snape just stood there. His mouth was hanging open.

"My uncle Vernon," Harry supplied as he went into the house to get cleaned up.

An hour and twenty-five minutes later Harry had finished cooking and went back to the garden. Dudley Dursley walked in an hour after that. He complained that the food was cold. Harry was beaten with a belt by his uncle.

Snape stayed an extra shift that night much to the relied of Mundungus Fletcher. He had to make sure the boy was okay. That beating had been so severe he could barely make it up to his room.

Potter didn't sleep at all that night. He made his way down to the kitchen at five o'clock the next morning. He started making breakfast.

"Is this a normal routine for you Potter?" he whispered coldly.

"What, being questioned about stupid things and harassed by my most hated professor at the Dursleys'? Not since about my primary school days," Harry replied cheekily.

"I should have expected this. You're even insolent about your abusive relatives," Snape sneered.

"It's not abuse. I just screw up and get punished for it. Besides, shouldn't you be happy that someone tried to rein me in?" Harry replied.

"I don't like it when people abuse my students. Even if…" Snape said.

"Shut up, they're coming down," he hissed.

The purple man from yesterday came into the kitchen. He looked at Harry, grabbed a plate and waited impatiently. His wait lasted about two minutes before he opened his mouth.

Snape pulled off his invisibility cloak and asked, "Vernon Dursley isn't it?"

Vernon Dursley just played fish while he gaped at the man in front of him. He was a tall man with long greasy black hair, black eyes, and a large crooked nose. He had sallow skin and was dressed entirely in black.

"What… Who… What are you?" Dursley managed.

"Not a very articulate bunch I see. What I am is no business of yours beyond the fact that this boy is my responsibility. As to who I am that as well, is none of your concern. Now if you'll excuse me, you abusive degenerate, you're going to be short a slave," he stated, "Potter get your things. We're leaving."

Harry ran off to do as he was bid wondering how Dumbledore had gotten Snape to fetch him.

"I don't suppose you could have been like your friend Granger and have gotten your Apparation license early?" Harry shook his head. "Of course not. By Floo then."

He pulled a small pouch of floo powder out of his robes, threw some in the fireplace the Dursleys' hadn't gotten around to fixing, called out "Snape Manor", and pushed him in. Trunk and all.

Harry landed in a clean but empty feeling library. There were tomes that looked to be from about Merlin's time and over-stuffed leather chair. Marble statues of Greek scholars were on either side of the large deep set fireplace he had come out of.

He had just moved himself and his trunk in front of one of the oak bookcases when Snape came in. He wiped the invisible ash from his robes and stared at Harry.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well what?" Harry asked, looking up from the books.

He moved to a chair and replied, "I'm willing to answer some of the questions you might have."

Harry shrugged and said grudgingly, "They can wait. Thank you sir. I hate it there."

"What's wrong with you Potter? You aren't acting like your cocky self," he said suspiciously.

"Maybe I'm not as cocky as you think in all reality," he said with a derisive grin.

Snape scowled and walked out. Harry went back to perusing the books until a house-elf walked in.

"My name is Misty and Master wants me to take you to the dinning room," the elf said.

He followed the squat little elf through the house noting that everything he saw was like the library. Clean, old and unused. He tried to explore a few rooms, but Misty wouldn't let him stop.

She sat him in a small dining room. It was darkly lit with sleeping portraits lining the walls. Many of them had Snape's nose. There was another huge fireplace beside the door they had come through.

Misty put a feast in front of him. He spent two hours eating everything he could. When he finished Misty appeared again.

"Master says Misty is to show you your chambers, but first am to take you to Master," she said.

Misty led him back to the library. Snape was sitting in one of the chairs. He had one of the dusty books in his hands.

"I talked to the Headmaster while you were gorging yourself. You won't be able to stay at Hogwarts like I had intended. The Headmaster wishes you to stay here. You'll have to stay under glamour though and you'll have chores," Snape sneered.

"What kind of chores sir?" Harry asked.

"Nothing like what the muggles put you through," Snape scowled.

"Of course not sir. With the kind of noise you were making about abuse I'd be surprised if you did," Potter sneered right back.

"And you called me an ass. If there's anything you need Misty will get it for you. Now do you have any questions before you go to bed?" he asked.

"Yeah, will I be allowed to talk to the Headmaster and my friends?" Harry requested.

"No on the Headmaster, but you will be allowed to continue owling your friends. However, you won't be able to see them," Snape replied.

"Well then, goodnight Professor," Harry said.

"Goodnight Potter," Snape said.