On September 1st, the teachers sat at the head table waiting for the students to return from their summer holidays, for the beginning of the school year.

"Brace yourselves," Headmaster Dumbledore said smiling down the table as they heard the students entering the entrance hall.

"I for one hate the summer holidays," Filius chuckled, "It gets too quiet around here without them here," he smiled as the hundreds of Hogwarts students filed in. "Especially the Weasley twins and Mr. Potter."

"I'm not so sure we will be seeing much of their usual selves for a while," Albus said sadly, "After what happened last year, those three have a valid reason to be buried deep within themselves."

All of the teachers looked down at the mention of the end of the war. Voldemort had returned and was crueler and blood thirsty more than before. Over the Christmas Holidays he struck at the Weasley house. It had taken six months to locate the family and track the Death Eaters down, and when Albus had brought the Order of the Phoenix, only Fred, George, and Charlie were left.

During the final battle, Harry had been fighting with Luna and Hermione when both girls had been knocked down with stray killing curses. Harry had stopped, looked around at the fallen and looked right at Voldemort and sent the most powerful Killing Curse he could at the monster.

"They will be different," Severus commented, "And I can safely say that after spending those months training them, I would do anything to get them to blow up a cauldron again."

The other Professors nodded in agreement and watched the two red-heads came into the hall just before the Sorting began.

After the Sorting and Albus made his start of term announcements, Minerva turned to Albus, Severus, and Filius.

"Fred and George would like to speak with us after the feast," She said softly, "They say it is about Mr. Potter."

Severus turned his attention to the Gryffindor table and scanned it for Harry, "Where is the boy?"

"Now that you mention it," Filius said, "I haven't seen him at all tonight."

"Just a while longer now," Albus said, shaking his head, "Then we will talk to the twins."

The rest of the feast seemed to pass agonizingly slow for the four professors and Weasley Twins. The absence of the Savior of the Wizarding World did not seem strange to the students except for the twins and one other.

The blonde Slytherin and Gryffindor Golden Boy had formed a strong friendship during the last months before the final battle. Draco had been the one who had helped Harry through those months when The Weasley Family had been taken to Riddle Manor and tortured and slaughtered.

After Albus dismissed the students, the twins and Draco made their way up to the head table and to the four remaining professors.

Albus frowned as he watched as Fred placed himself slightly in front of George. Out of the three remaining Weasley's, George had been put through the most torture in the Manor.

"Come on boys," Severus said, beckoning them out a side door, "We can talk in my rooms."

Severus led the three students and professors into his dungeon rooms and motioned for them to sit while he summoned a house-elf to bring tea.

"Now, boys," Albus said, sitting next to Filius, "What do you have to tell us?"

"Harry wasn't on the train," Fred said quietly, his fingers tapping his knees. "We are worried. We saw him a few weeks ago, and his uncle…"

"What did Mr. Dursley do?" Minerva asked with an odd feeling in her chest. Fred glanced at his twin and shifted in his seat.

"While we were there, he got upset and started going on about how he would be making his keep," George said, and Severus cringed at the weak and broken sound.

"Did he say how he would earn his keep?" Severus asked and Fred and George shared a look and George dropped his gaze, shoulders shaking. Fred remained quiet.

"Fred? George?" Draco asked softly looking between the two of them, "Where did he send him? Where is Harry?"

Fred looked up and looked directly at the Headmaster, "A brothel," Fred choked out, "A brothel, Bear's Tank."

"Fred…" Minerva said weakly, "Are you sure?" and she let out a choked sob as the boy nodded, "Albus, we need to get him out of there."

"Severus," Albus said, standing, "I will need your strongest Verituserum. Minerva, you and I will go deal with his relatives. Filius, take Fred and George to their rooms I set up last night."

"What about Harry?" George asked and his professors saw a brief glint of his old self back, "We can't just leave him there!"

"We won't, dear boy," The Headmaster said calmly, "Severus will go retrieve him and bring him to the school."

Severus quickly got the requested potion and others he would need for when he saw Harry again.

As Severus prepared to leave, George came up to him.

"Professor?" He said softly and with little emotion, "Will he be okay?"

"Yes, George," Severus said quietly, setting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "I will make sure of it."

"Thank you, Professor," George said looking at his feet and rubbing his arm, where Severus knew Bellatrix Lestrange had carved into his skin.

"Come to my office, tomorrow," He said to the red-head, "I believe we need to talk."

"What time, Sir?" George asked, still looking down and Severus could feel his fear.

"Whenever you want," Severus said and then put him at ease, "Your can bring your brother."

"Thank you Professor," George said quietly and moved to stand with his twin, who moved protectively in front of him again.

"Are you ready, Severus?" Minerva asked and he nodded, "We will meet you back in the infirmary." She took some of his floo powder to floo to Arabella Figg's house, in Surrey.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Severus said to all three of the boys and took his own floo powder to floo to the Leaky Cauldron, from where he would Apparate to Bear's Tank.

"Be careful, Severus," Albus said as he prepared to follow Minerva through to Figg's. "Just get Harry and get out, do not do anything stupid."

"I have a plan, Albus," Severus said and watched him leave and quickly left after the old man.

As soon as he got to the Leaky Cauldron he Disapparated to the brothel. The place was rundown, but was alight with activity. Severus felt his stomach churn and he knew he couldn't just walk in and take the boy away.

Severus quickly took out his wand and transfigured his teaching robes into muggle attire and approached the building. As he entered the building a middle aged man walked up to him.

"You're new," the man stated, "I've never seen you here before," Severus nodded, concentrating on keeping his anger under control. "Would you like to see the book?"

Severus nodded and followed him into the backroom with a table in the middle.

"The name's Max," he said, handing Severus a book filled with pages of pictures of young boys, "Max Prince."

"Charles," Severus said, quickly flipping through the pages. He froze when he got to the last page.

'Raven, age 15.' Severus looked up at the hideous man in front of him.

"Ah, yes," Max said softly, "Raven, he is quite a crowd pleaser, that one. A shame really, Bear is sending him out tomorrow morning. Has some guy in Peru that wants him."

"Can you take me to him?" Severus asked, reeling inside, as he pulled out his muggle money and handing it to Max, while fingering his wand.

"You'll like him," Max said smiling, flicking a switch, "Room thirteen."

Severus stared at the man before making his way down the hall with the man following behind him.

In room thirteen the boy everyone in the brothel called Raven was laying on the white, blood stained bed, staring at the red light above the door. He hated the color red, which would be a problem once he went back to school, because it meant another customer was on his way in.

"I can handle it myself, Mr. Prince," A voice sneered from the other side of the door, and his heart thudded painfully. He would know that voice anywhere, after being ridiculed for nearly four years and trained last year, by it.

Harry's eyes sparkled with hope as the door opened a crack, but hesitantly, as if the person on the other side was afraid at what they would find.

Harry began to shake as he heard Max respond. Out of all of the men he had the misfortune to meet, Max terrified him. Max had been the first man who had paid for him

Uncle Vernon had been royally upset the day Fred and George had visited. He had left Harry alone for the night, but he was woken up by Aunt Petunia's yelling.

"No Vernon!" his aunt had screamed, "You absolutely cannot send the boy there!"

"Why not Pet?" Vernon had bellowed back, "The Freak could bring in money from Bear's! We need the cash! He can bring it in as payment for all the years we have housed the whelp!"

"No Vernon!" Harry jumped as there was a sound of a slap and someone falling into the table in the main hallway.

"BOY! Get your ass down here!" Vernon bellowed and Harry jumped out of his bed and practically sprinted down the stairs.

"Yes Sir?" Harry said quietly as he stood at the foot of the stairs.

"Get in the car," Vernon said as he started towards the door and Aunt Petunia got up, "We have made plans for you."

Harry wanted to argue but his aunt shook her head and quickly walked over to him as his uncle made his way out of the house.

"Just do as he says, Harry," She said softly, "I'll try to get a letter to your school."

Harry swallowed and nodded slowly, terrified. If Petunia Dursley was willing to write to Hogwarts, his uncle must have something terribly horrendous planned.

Harry turned and went down the front path to the car where Uncle Vernon was impatiently waiting for him.

"Where are we going, Uncle?" Harry had asked sitting in his seat in the car.

"You'll be doing some work for us," Vernon had sneered, making Harry's stomach churn.

Harry and Vernon sat in silence the entire car ride. If you were to look into the young teen's mind you would see a mixture of fear and sorrow. Harry was terrified at where his uncle may be taking him. His uncle had been known to frequent the local "Whore Houses", as Mr. Clemens, the neighbor in number six, called them. The young teen's heart also hurt for all of those who had fought and given their lives for the war, just to make sure he could kill the Dark Lord.

Harry didn't realize that they had stopped until his uncle had pulled him out of the car by his hair and into an old run down building.

"Vernon!" A man who was short, pudgy, and in dire need of an introduction with soap, called, "This is the little lad you told me about?"

"Hello Alfred," Vernon called back and shoved Harry to the man, "Here's the little freak. Send the money to my house." And with that, Vernon Dursley had left his nephew in the brothel without thinking about what would happen when his school discovered him missing.

"Max, come to room thirteen in ten minutes," Alfred called over his shoulder while Harry froze as the man's hand began to grope at Harry's penis. "Raven here has just arrived for his first night shift." Harry whimpered as the man dragged him down the hallway while pulling off the smaller man's pants.

Severus opened the door to room thirteen after a brief hesitation. He could honestly say that he was terrified at the sight he knew he would be seeing.

He stepped into a white room with a white linen bed that was covered in old and new blood stains, and had Harry Potter lying in the blood the last man had drawn.

"Potter?" Severus said, rushing over to the trembling and whimpering boy, "Potter, look at me."

Severus was taken aback when Harry opened his eyes and the fear, hope, and trust shone from his emerald green eyes, Lily's eyes.

"Potter… Harry can you tell me who I am?" Severus asked softly, wrapping the trembling teen in a blanket which had been discarded in the corner.

"Pr…Professor Sn…Snape," The child whimpered as he clutched the older man's shirt, "Best da...damn trainer in the world."

"Very good, Mr. Potter," Severus said smirking, "WE will be going directly to Hogwarts. Would you prefer the infirmary or my rooms?"

"Not the infirmary, please, sir," Harry said weakly and Severus understood his aversion to the color white. "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"What's the date?" Harry asked, clinging to his professor, who surprised him by chuckling.

"September First, Friday," Severus said and prepared to Apparate with the boy.

"Professor?"

"Yes Mr. Potter?" Severus asked knowing that the Apparition would drain the boy of any energy he had left.

"Thank you," Harry whispered and buried his head in the man's chest and Severus took one more look at the door before he Disapparated to the main gates at Hogwarts.

Severus quickly took the path directly to his quarters and office. As he lay Harry on the guest bed and tried to move away to call Poppy to help him, the boy whimpered and held tighter.

"Harry, I need to go get Madam Pomfrey," Severus said softly, but the boy only whimpered and clung more tightly. "Potter, you need to let go."

When the potions master realized that the boy would not let go, he pulled harry to him and onto his lap as he sat on the bed, and sent a Patronus to the infirmary.

"You're safe now, child," Severus muttered as Harry began to calm down, "You have three friends who are very worried about you. They were here earlier." He continued trying to soothe and calm the boy, "The Weasley Twins came back to the school. They are taking their last two years over again, so they will be with you."

Severus held Harry close and looked up when he heard three flares from the floo and his portrait open.

"Severus!" Minerva called from the sitting room, "Severus are you back yet?"

"He is in the guest room," Poppy said, bustling through the Potion Master's quarters quickly followed by the headmaster and the three heads of house.

"Severus," Albus said moving into the room, quickly, "Severus? How is he?"

"I'm going to kill his uncle, Albus," Severus muttered, "After he begged you not to send him back, Albus, he knew they would not tolerate him now that the Dark Lord is gone!"

"Severus," Albus said weakly, "He is safer behind the blood…"

"No Albus!" Minerva yelled and Severus felt the child in his lap shudder and bury himself deeper into his chest and he sent a glare towards Minerva.

" Poppy," Severus said, pointedly ignoring the headmaster, "He won't let go of me, can you check him over like this?"

"It will be more difficult, but I can do it," Poppy said, pulling out her wand, "Make sure he stays still Severus."

"Albus, if you send him back there," Minerva threatened, stepping towards the old man, "I will personally see to that you are removed from the school."

"All four of you know that he has to go back to where he is safe," Albus said, "He has to return there at the end of the year."

"That is enough, Albus," Poppy said harshly, "Out, now. And know that I am filing the papers with the Ministry tonight to have him removed from their care."

"And who will take him?" Albus asked, logically, "Where will he go to stay?"

"Merlin, Albus," Severus said loudly, "I will take him in if it keeps him out of the place!"

"The war is over, Albus," Minerva said as the headmaster started out of the room, "Let Harry have the happiness he deserves now. He did his part."

Albus turned and strolled out of the room with the three professors watching him as Poppy continued with her patient.

"He needs to rest," Poppy said, "He cannot have any potions until at least eight tomorrow morning, not until the muggle drugs are flushed from his system."

"Muggle drugs?" Filius asked taking a seat in one of the chairs Minerva had conjured, Harry was still clinging to Severus' robes on the bed.

"I am not sure what they are or what they were used for," Poppy said sinking into the third chair, "But they are there."

Severus looked down at the dull green eyes which had not shined since he had seen the last three Weasley's after the Order had brought the m back. The dull look had been present since the funerals of the rest of the Weasley Family.

"Harry?" He said softly, trying not to frighten the boy, "Did they make you take the drugs?"

Harry nodded and held out his left arm, "They didn't want us to fight," He whispered, closing his eyes.

Severus looked at Harry's arm and saw the needle marks all along his veins. He ran his hand down the thin bruised arms and Harry cringed.

"I won't hurt you," Severus said pulling his hand away, "Get some sleep, you are safe here."

Severus sighed in relief as Harry relaxed slowly and his breathing became uneven as he slipped into his own world.

"The boy is gone," Minerva said softly, sadness evident in her voice, "He is a man now, hardly sixteen and already he has seen so much death and been hurt so much. I wish he could smile again."

"There were times last year, when he and Ms. Granger would walk into class and I wished the Mr. Weasley was following behind and they would blow up a feather with Mr. Finnegan or help Mr. Longbottom with the assignment," Filius said shaking his head.

"When this class graduates," Severus said, "There will not be very many students leaving. I only have one Slytherin left in sixth year."

"Ravenclaw has three," Filius said, "Pomona has five in Hufflepuff."

"The only lions left are Harry and Neville," Minerva sighed, "And now the twins."

"Only eleven of the original sixth years left," Severus said shaking his head, trying to let Harry down onto the bed without waking him. "My Gryffindor and Slytherin class will have five students in it."

"They took the brunt of the war," Poppy sighed standing up and taking a deep breath, "Severus will you really take him in? I think it may be the only way to make sure he does not go back to Surrey."

"Yes," Severus said, "If he agrees to it."

"I'll be back tomorrow night to check on him again." Poppy said, "Take care of him, Severus."

"It will be fine, Poppy," Minerva said, "Severus will take good care of him. Filius I will see you in the morning."

"I'll check in on the twins and let them know Harry is safe," Filius said following the women out.

Severus looked down at Harry before following the others out and went into his own room.

He sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. He had great respect for the child in his guest room. After last year, with training him, and being on the receiving end of many of his anger flares, how could he not?

How many times had he sat in his office watching the boy destroy anything in his sight? How many nights had he had to go search for the child when he didn't show up, only to find him silently crying? How many weeks had the Boy-Who-Lived sent curse after hex at him while looking for the hope he needed to continue? The countless nights Longbottom had came to get him while the boy screamed and pleaded for his friend's lives in the middle of the night?

Yes, he respected the child, no, young man. He had seen more than anyone else during the war, lost more people than anyone. Between his parents, his godfather, the battle, and the Christmas attack on the Burrow, it was a wonder how the boy wasn't completely gone.

Severus groaned and lay back on his pillows. He would do whatever necessary to stop Albus from sending the child back to his family, he knew that much. He knew that Poppy, Minerva, Pomona, and Filius would also see to that Harry went somewhere safe for a change. Severus closed his eyes, meaning only to rest for five minutes but consequently ended up in a light sleep.