Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the magical people, places, things, animals in this story belong to J. K. Rowling. I can't even imagine owning all that.

Summary: AU. This is a Snape mentor Harry kind of story. It starts with Harry's summer vacations before his Second Year as Snape comes across something that breaks all delusions about the boy's home-life. Please don't flame. I really appreciate constructive criticism but no flames. Please!

Chapter I

Twelve year old Harry Potter was sleeping in his 'room' when Uncle Vernon came in. He hauled up the boy in sitting position. Harry didn't understand what was happening and before he knew it, his uncle was yelling at him.

"That owl of yours is creating a racket, boy. Do you want everyone to know about you're…umm you being unnatural, freak? I have had it, now you just see what I can do." Vernon Dursley said his face purple and a vein throbbing on his forehead.

Harry flinched, wondering if it was going to be more chores inside or more gardening. He didn't mind doing more chores; he was used to it as long as he got to eat something more than two slices of dry bread and one glass of milk a day. He knew his less than should be height was because of his intake of food or lack of it. Both were one and the same things in his point of view. But it seemed Uncle Vernon had other ideas. Harry was beyond being surprised when on the next day he saw someone outside his window, putting bars on it. 'Oh, so this was what Uncle Vernon was talking about. Oh well.' It wasn't as if he was getting loads of mail from his friends. It almost seemed as if Ron and Hermione had forgotten their promise. It was then that he realized that they might have realized he wasn't worth their friendship. 'After all, he had only brought troubles with him. Just look at his first year! The troll incident, the Quidditch match, the Forbidden forest! Oh, he almost forgot the Philosopher's Stone! It alone took the award of the night. There were at least thousands of students at Hogwarts but who noticed the mishaps? Him! Oh, why? Why had he dragged them? But wait! He didn't drag them, did he? They came on their own will. But then why weren't they writing to him as promised?'

As he was wallowing himself in self-pity, in Hogwarts, the Headmaster was getting some weird news lately. He was pondering what to do with the news had received when he someone knock the door. He looked and smiled. Good, Albus thought, at least Severus would be impartial enough to decide what to do with the news. The Potions Master just nodded at the Headmaster.

"Severus, my dear boy! You are not going to Manor, are you? Severus, you should go there if only to prove that you have risen above them." Albus admonished his former student.

Severus Snape barely stopped himself from groaning out loud. 'Why did Albus never stop? Honestly, Albus of all people should understand about him not wanting to go to Manor more than anyone.' He just said, "Albus, I am going to pretend you never said that and I never heard that. That done, I came here to ask about Hagrid's…dog. What are you going to do about it, Albus?"

The Headmaster just smiled and said, "Oh, don't worry about Fluffy, Severus. Hagrid is going to take care of that. I have something to discuss with you which troubles as well as confuses me."

Severus shifted in his chair and said, "Well, I, for sure, would want to know what troubles you. I would help in any way possible; you know that, don't you, Albus?"

"Well, I have letters from Ms. Granger and Mrs. Weasley on behalf of Mr. Ronald Weasley questioning about Mr. Potter's well-being. Their letters to Mr. Potter were not answered and now I am worried about Mr. Potter. What do you think we should do, Severus?" Headmaster asked, rubbing his forehead.

This time, the Potions Master did groan out loud and said, "Why do you think Mr. Potter wouldn't respond to his fan-mail, Albus? Perhaps because he doesn't think his friends worthy enough to write to? Or perhaps he got bored with his current fan-club and wants new fans?"

"Severus, you should know better than that. Harry is not his father. Didn't we have a somewhat same conversation last year? It is time to leave the past alone and embrace the present." Headmaster said sternly, all twinkle gone from his eyes.

"Headmaster, you know how I feel about this and I think it will never change. I'll leave now, I have to do Poppy's batch. Goodnight, Headmaster." Snape said and left, his robes bellowing behind him.

In the Headmaster's office, Albus said softly, "Never say never, Severus." The portrait of Phineas Nigullus said, eyeing the Headmaster suspiciously, "What are you up to, Albus? Even after all these years I still wonder how you were sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin."

The portrait of Professor Dippet said, "You know, I wondered about that, too"

The present Headmaster laughed and went to his chambers thinking about a certain Mr. Potter.

In dungeons, Severus Snape was brewing potions needed for the Medi-Witch. He knew why Albus had brought Potter's subject not in front of Hagrid or Minerva but him. He thought about what Albus had said and tried to remember his expression. 'His expression had been adequately serious.' he thought. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to go and check. No one needs to know I am going to check on Gryffindor's Golden Boy." Snape mused out loud.

He decided to check on the brat after his potions were brewed and labelled. 'Why should I leave my potions for the brat? Humph.' After four more hours of potion brewing, a temporary batch of potions was ready for the Medi-Witch's storage. After ten minutes or so he reached the apparition, he apparated to Private Drive. 'Now, which one was the brat's house? Every house is similar to each other.' Snape thought as he was walking down the street. After a mere moment or two, he noticed a very odd thing about one house. The sight, which was even in Potion Master's point of view, was funny. 'Now, why would anyone put bars on only one window and that too on the first floor instead of ground floor?' Snape mused. His morbid curiosity won over his sane mind, he went near the house. It was in dark as it should be since it the middle of the night. He cast a delusionment charm on himself. He went to the front door and whispered, "Alohomora."

After the door opened, he whispered, "Lumos." As the light came from his wand, Snape saw that there were many frames of photograph in which there was a thin, horse-faced woman, a baby whale and probably a daddy whale. 'Well, I am suddenly very thankful that there are Crabbe and Goyle in Slytherin otherwise I would be gaping like a fish out of water. How disgusting! How anybody can get that….large is beyond me.' Snape thought. Snape quickly pushed aside that fact and went inside to fulfil his curiosity. It was a house of a neatnik of that he was sure. The child was clearly overfed as well as his father but somehow Snape had an inkling that the household chores weren't done by the woman or any of the whales. It was just an intuition but he knew himself well enough to believe the current one. As he was going out of the house, a noise upstairs made him stop. He quickly but quietly went upstairs. He listened intently for the sound to fall on his ears and it did. It was probably sound of a bird flapping his wing. He crept towards the direction of the sound of a bird and stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a door with at least ten locks. Now Snape wasn't generally a man to be intrigued but in this case he was. He charmed the door to open and his heart stopped for a moment or two as he said, "Lumos."

In front of him, were many, many toys but it weren't the toys that bothered him. It was the bird. A snowy bird. 'Holy mother of Merlin! Potter's owl. It…it was Potter's bird and that….that was Potter, sleeping on the…makeshift bed.' Snape thought dazedly.

'What was going on? Why would someone lock their own nephew with more ten locks? Was Potter that bad as a boy? Agreed he was James Potter's son but even he, Severus Snape would put locks on a child's door.' Snape thought angrily. As he crept inside the room, his eyes widened. This was the window, they…they put the bars on Potter's window! It was more than Snape could take, he took a deep breath and whispered, albeit harshly, shock and anger evident in his voice, "Potter! Potter, get up this instant!"

Author's Note: So did you like it? If you did like it then please review. As I am unsure whether to continue or not. I really hope you like it. This is my first fan-fic ever! Go me!