Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter's cast, crew, and owning rights. The only person I know of that does is JK. Rowling. I do own the books though for my own reading pleasure, as many of you out there as well. Anyway, I'm not making any money of this, except for a cure for my boredom, and hopefully my readers as well.
Timeline: After Goblet of Fire. Summer time. Some spoilers of OotP will be seen in here. Rumours of future books are also present.
"Severus, I have a request of you." Dumbledore began. Oh no, not another request. Last time he had a request, Severus ended up having to teach half-witted students how to brew a simple potion.
Tensing up in the chair he was sitting in, Snape replied, "Well, go on. Lets here this request." This will be good. What does he want? Severus to go to the next Death Eater meeting, and kill Voldemort? How about wear pink, and be nice to Gryffindors? The thought almost made him laugh. However the thought also made the Potions Master slightly sick.
Dumbledore smiled, "Of course, you don't have to do this.." He trailed. Oh, play that card, will you, Dumbledore? "I just need someone to check on Harry's safety." No, no, no.. Never. Not in a million years. Watch, I knock at the door, Harry answers, I ask if he's okay, and then he faints from mere shock. No, better yet, Harry answers the door, and I tell him that Dumbledore wanted me to check in on him, and he slams the door in my face.
"Check on Potter?" Severus spat. Very unlikely, I'd ever do something such as that. The odds of that even happening is like, 1 in a trillion.
Dumbledore sighed, "This morning, I received a letter from Sirius. It appears, that young Harry has not returned any letters at all, and his letters sent to him, have been mailed back to him, rudely opened." Dumbledore looked over his glasses, "Ms. Granger, reports this sort of happenings as well." With another explanation, "The Weasley's had informed me that the Dursley's are very strict on Harry, and sometimes even beat him.."
Okay, so Black is overreacting, Granger is being her normal know-it-all self, and the Weasley's were just angry because Potter couldn't stay with them. "All I have to do, is walk in there, and see that he's breathing, and in good health then?" Good health.. If he was, he wouldn't be after I got through with him.. Hiding an sadistic smirk behind a glare.
You can't just say no to Dumbledore. He's a great man, and somehow always gets his way. "Yes, just see if he is still in good health.. Today if possible."
Severus gave nodded, and got up before anymore requests were made. He headed toward the door, "One more thing, Severus.." He turned around to see what he wanted.
"Give the boy a chance. You might actually like him.." Not likely. The Potions Master then left. As if I'd even attempt to be nice to a Potter. The only reason he wants me to be 'kind' to this kid is because his father is.. was.. my step brother.. It was confusing really. His father married my mother, when we were both kids. Even then we hated each other. And in his death he still torments me.
With his son. Damn, Dumbledore, and his determination to constantly push him and the Potters together.
He had not even noticed he already apparated at the Dursley residence. With a quick glance around, Severus wondered what the problem was; The garden looked freshly weeded. The lawn was freshly cut, the walkway recently swept: The gutters even looked clean. Well- might as well make sure.
With a knock on the door, Severus heard someone from inside yell, "Get the door, Harry!" It was a woman who yelled this. That would be Petunia, Severus assumed. He had never met her, but from what he heard, she is a total bitch. "Dudley, get the door!" She yelled out, again. Get the door yourself. Severus thought.
Hearing loud, heavy stomping down the steps inside, the door swung open, and Severus came face to face with the largest boy he had ever seen. "Who the hell are you?" The boy asked, rudely.
With a quick introduction, "Severus Snape. I'm a professor at Pot- Harry's school. I'm here to check on him." Wow, that was close. Almost called him Potter. Wouldn't look too good to the family, would it?
"DAD! ITS ONE OF THEM!" The boy squealed, face becoming red from the yelling.
Severus heard another large rumble, and footsteps come down the stairs. Enter Vernon Dursley. Severus thought, the whole section reminding him of a play of some sort. A large beefy man, that had to have been Vernon Dursley, stood with beady black eyes, and a triple chin. "And what do YOU want?" This whole family was quite rude. It was no wonder Potter was so disobedient..
"Mr. Dursley, I've been requested to check on your nephew. He apparently has not been writing to his friends, so, some people are starting to think something is wrong with the boy."
Vernon, obviously had to think about this. If Potter wasn't injured he wouldn't have to. Severus noted. If Vernon didn't let him see the boy, then Severus would, for surely know he had been abused. And if he did, Severus would see that he was abusing him. The now-purple faced man had weighed out all the options, and found himself corner trapped.
And so maybe Black isn't overreacting..
"He's in his room. He does not like to be disturbed while he's doing his homework." The man said, stepping aside, offering entry to the house.
This was angering me. Lying gets nobody anywhere. "That's okay, he won't mind, I'm sure." A small grin came to my face. If Potter was doing homework in his room, Potter would surely yell at him. The man standing in front of him, had let his face go -if possible- more purple. Frustrated, Severus gave a note.
"His room is upstairs, second door on the left." The man instructed, as Severus headed upstairs.
Second door on the left.. Second door on the left. Looking at the door, there were heavy padlocks on the door. As if that would actually prevent entry.
Severus sighed, and took his wand out. Damn muggles. He thought, as he blasted the door open, and glanced around the room.
The window was boarded up, lazily, as longer nails stuck out of the boards. There was a small mattress to one corner, with just a tiny sheet laying on it, messed up on the mattress. He noticed there was a large board missing in the floor. There was some old parchment laying in that, not that he cared.
Where the hell was Potter? Damn, why the hell doesn't this kid have any lights in here? "Lumos.." Severus muttered, lighting his wand.
The new light brought notice to an owl cage. When he looked harder at the owl residing there, A snowy owl, was at the bottom of the cage, hardily breathing. Severus gave a quick examination, wondering what was wrong with it.
Hearing a small whisper, "She's sick if that is what your trying to find out, Professor." He spun around, and saw Potter. And he did not look too good either. It was clear he had not ate in ages. He's glasses were broken, tapped in the center, and the glass had a crack. He could hardily stand on his own, and his large clothes were blood stained and in rough shape.
Snape found himself lost for words. So, the Weasley's were right. They did abuse him. Severus thought.
Harry explained, "Dudley fed her poison at the start of vacation." Staring hopelessly at the owl. It wasn't the bird Severus was at all worried about. It was my step brother's son. His step brother's son that was holding himself up merely on the old writing desk, so he wouldn't fall.
"That would explain the bird's condition. How about yours?" Severus sneered at the boy's lack of detail of what was truly important.Potter replied, "I got hit by a car." Obviously he didn't want to tell me.. "Is Hedwig going to be okay?" He asked changing the subject.
Quickly replying, "Forget about the bird for now-"
"You mean she's going to die?" He asked, eyes showing true sadness.
"I do not know, Potter. I have to get you to Hogwarts, so that YOU can be treated." Amazing he didn't even have a shaky voice when he spoke. But he has been through worse, I expect. What with Voldemort and Querrel attacking him in first year, fighting a balisk, three attacks, and dueling with Voldemort.. He was probably use to the pain. Not that Severus felt sorry for the Boy-Who-Lived.
He blinked, "I'm fine.."
"Don't even try to say that. I do have eyes, Potter. I can clearly see they have been abusing you."
"No, they haven't. I was hit by a car! I've already been to the hospital, and been treated!" He is not a good liar. His father would not be happy about that.
"Harry, you don't have a say in this. Even if I have to stun you to get you out of this sodding house!" That was a first. I called him by his real name. He was astonished by this. He was silent a moment, so Severus turned to look at the bird. "How long has the bird been like this? At the bottom of the cage?"
A tired voice said, "A week and three days." That would be the exact amount of the summer vacation..
"And your cousin did this.. why?"
Harry started, "My uncle told him to." The hatred in his voice was present, but also a hint of shame, "They didn't want me to contact anyone.. when.. he started..." Harry trailed off.
Severus nodded slowly. "Where are your personal belongings?"
"My old room." He said simply.
This family is all about the avoidance of giving all the answers. Getting annoyed, Snape asked, "And that is..?"
He silently walked out, so Severus decided to follow him. Down the stairs, he undid the lock to the cupboard. The Potions Master raised an eyebrow. His trunk was shoved in the tiny cupboard.
"This was your room?"
He remained silent as Severus took his trunk out, and noticed really how small it truly was. With a stressful sigh, "Would you get your owl?" Severus asked Potter. The boy didn't need telling twice, he left to his room, as Severus travelled into the living room; where the Dursleys were nervously sitting. "Which one of you poisoned the owl?" He did know the answers, but he wanted them to admit their crimes.
"I did, sir." The boy muttered, his nose flaring for oxygen out of fear. Good, I can work with fear..
"And who's idea was to not feed him?"
The woman spoke up. "Who do you think you are? You cannot go barging in here, and question my family! Do you have a search warrant?" Ahh, so she knows the muggle laws. Good for her, I'm not muggle and I follow no muggle law.
"I take it you were. And that leaves you to be the child beater." Raising his wand, staring at the purple faced man.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, entering with his oh-so excellent timing.
Severus replied, as if talking to a young child, "Teaching your family a lesson."
"No." He said firmly.
The family looked relieved at his single word, but the Potions Master would not accept anything that wasn't up to his standards. "No? Potter, they've tortured you!"
"But if you do that, then I won't be able to come back here!" Potter explained.
"Oh well," Severus shrugged, waving his wand. Everything flipped upside down. All of the living room things were now located on the roof, as the family was standing on the floor, horrified. The whole house was like this. Potter stood wide-eyed, as Severus grabbed his trunk, and led him outside to hear the furniture crash down inside the home. He was still shocked so Severus grabbed his arm, and disapparated off. Reappearing just outside school grounds.
Finally, Golden Boy said something, "Why'd you do that?!"
"They deserved it. Family should not treat each other like that." That, and I felt guilty. I was partially his family too, and I had missed the signs of abuse for four years.
"Now I don't have anywhere to go, thanks to you!" Potter snapped ungratefully.
"Worry about that later, you need to get to the hospital wing." Snape said, escorting him to the school.
Poppy let Severus stay after he told Dumbledore that Potter couldn't stay with the Dursleys no longer. Severus hadn't initially chosen to stay, he had been whisked away for a Death Eater meeting, and ended up getting an unforgivable put on him.
Either way, staying in the hospital wing informed him that Potter had three cracked ribs, and his right arm was dislocated. Also that, that the bruises could not be healed by magic, they'd have to be healed through time. Poppy announced after a few tests that he has been suffering from malnutrition. She figured he hadn't ate at all since the end of term, which was Severus' suspicions.
Harry was sleeping soundly, and Poppy had left for bed herself, so Severus decided to go speak with Dumbledore. Getting up silently, with stealth, he snuck out. Walking the familiar halls, he finally arrived at Dumbledore's office. He was watching that parchment of Potter's. But that wasn't parchment, it was a map. Severus was informed of that only a short while ago. Dumbledore hadn't given it back to Harry, because he was quite interested in how it was made, himself."Severus, exactly who I wanted to see.." Dumbledore trailed off, setting the map aside.
Snape sat down, and quickly stated, "The Dursleys won't be wanting to take him in afterwards. And I don't think it would be a good idea even if they would." Who in their right minds would send him back to that?
"Yes, I understand that." Dumbledore replied.
"So, where is he going to stay then?" Snape asked out of curiosity.
"Here, until Poppy is satisfied with his health." Dumbledore said leaning back.
"Then where?"
"I have an idea.." He smiled almost evil-like. Oh great, what was this great idea? Him living with convicted murder Black? Or werewolf Lupin? "How about Harry stays with you?"