" Albus Dumbledore! " Severus shouted into his fireplace after casting a silencing spell around it and himself.
" Severus? What is the matter? "
" I removed Potter from his 'house' in Surrey yesterday. There were, concerning matters that I found that called his safety into question. "
" Was it the Death Eaters? "
" No Albus, it was worse. His own relatives! I will not go in full detail as I promised the boy I wouldn't tell of what I seen. Vernon Dursley also brought up that there was money involved to keep Potter there. Money that I hope was to go for the boy's care, which it clearly had not been, instead Petunia and her little family used it to support themselves and spoil her brat while Potter got nothing and was treated no better than a house elf! Now please tell me it wasn't you. "
Albus sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
" It was you?! Did you know how they were treating him?! Did you?! "
" He had asked to stay his first year. But I had assumed... "
" Assumed what Albus? That he was so enamored by the castle and magic that he wanted to stay a little longer? How many children have asked to stay at the castle at the end of the year? I'll tell you, the ones who don't want to go home to a life of hell! I asked to stay my first year as well, but I stopped after third year because you kept telling me no. "
" Had I known... "
" You know how difficult it is for those who suffer from abuse to open up about it! Look how long it took me to admit to you what my father had done to me and my mother! At least I can say the man didn't treat me like a house elf! "
" Was that how they treated him? "
" All I'll say is that it's a miracle they hadn't taught him to beat himself up! I'm trying to get him to open more about their treatment of him. The first part is to earn his trust, he asked me to not tell you of what I saw, and I won't until he tells me to do so. Now what are we going to do about the Dursley's? "
" Were they all three involved or was it just Petunia and Vernon? "
" It was all three of them. The money you sent... "
" It was for Harry's care and needs, nothing more. "
" Has been used for their own gain and spent on their brat. Potter was not safe in that house Albus, he needs a place to stay during the rest of his summer. "
" Perhaps he could stay there with you Severus? "
" Albus... "
" You rescued him Severus, and you saved him just this last year as well. I'll make sure that the money the Dursley's recieved will be rembersed in full. Afterwards I will see about having them investigated for the abuse and... "
" You can add neglect to the list. I also suspect starvation is also a factor in their treatment, the boy is too thin and small for his age. "
" My god, why would they do this to him? He's an innocent child for Goodness Sake's! "
" Petunia never was like Lily Albus, she was her polar opposite, where Lily was a blazing fire, her sister was as cold and bitter as the Antarctic. She was always jealous of and hated her sister and anything to do with magic or those who weld it. Why did you place that boy with her in the first place? There were plenty of families that would've taken him in who could protect him. "
" I thought it best he grew up away from the fame. "
" A lot of good that did. It's a miracle he's still as kind and compassionate as he is and not turning out like I did or worse...I'll keep him for the summer Albus, but I'm not doing it for you. I swore to protect that boy for her and only her. And if I have to protect him from you as well from the Dark Lord, so be it. I'll not fail her again Albus. "
" Understood Severus. I trust you to keep him safe and heal him. Though I do wonder what I should tell a certain friend of ours of young Harry's new living situation. "
" Tell him what you will. But don't tell him that the boy is staying here I don't need our friend attacking me in my own home for 'kidnapping' his little 'friend'. "
" I should hope not as well. It would be one fight he'd lose. "
" In either form. " Severus' eyes flashed turmeric orange.
" Now Severus... "
" I make no promises if he attacks me Albus. I had to deal with it growing up and I will not put up with it any more. I grew up, he did not. "
" Very well, I'll tell him that young Harry is safe and out of his Aunt's home... "
" He voiced a concern as well? "
" Through Ms. Ganger and young Mr. Weasley's letters to him and to me. "
" Their letters to you. Ha-Potter didn't write to them? "
" He did, but they suspected something was wrong, they wrote to me, and I asked you to go check on him. "
" I'm aware of that fact. I was unaware of the fact that Petunia was being paid to keep the boy... "
" That was not what the money was for Severus. It was for his care as I said. "
" Well, that's what they're going to say when they are being arrested and charged with abuse and neglect to a child. For God's sake's Albus, they didn't even have a picture of him in any of the photos they had on the walls! What does that tell you? "
" They do not love him. "
" Exactly and you know just as I do that the bloods wards will not work if the person residening in a house that has them. They are useless! It's inviting the Death Eaters to come and get him! "
" I'll get the paper work in order, but we still need Harry to talk about what happened to him while living there. "
" I'll be working with him on it this summer while he stays here. "
" Very well. Take care of him Severus. I'll shall call once everything is in order. "
" Thank you Albus. "
" Thank you, Severus, for getting Harry out of there. "
---
The next morning, Harry was nervous, today they would talk about what had happened at the Dursley's, the beatings, the neglect, the starvations, the working like a dog with only water and bread to keep him going, living in the cupboard for the first 10 years of his life there. The scars. The nightmares.
He splashed his face with warm water hoping it would calm him down, it didn't work.
" Breath Potter. I'm not going to start drilling you about everything that happened. We will start with the small things first, if you are uncomfortable telling me, then write it down and I'll go over it, if that is more suitable for you. " Severus said when he came down to the kichen for breakfast.
" I'd like to try to talk about it first Professor. But, there are some things I'd like to write down. " Harry replied once he calmed down and understood Snape's words.
" Very well, we will start that this evening. Until then let's try and do that potions essay and maybe a practice run with the potion. For that, you will need to go into my lab, which for today you will have permission to enter. "
" Ok...Sir? Can I practice with my other classes? "
" No. Despite the heavy wards and protections on this house, the Ministry still monitors underage magic. I'll not have the Minister coming here demanding to know what you are doing in my house instead of with your relatives. Or have word get back to your godfather and have him attack my home or me unjustly. "
" Did you find out anything about the money my relatives were getting? "
" Yes, and it was Albus, but now listen, he said it was for your care and not for them to spend and do with as they pleased. He had not known they were using it for themselves. He said it be corrected it and most likely and that they are going to be charged for what they did to you plus stealing the money. Had he known he would've corrected it sooner. "
" If he had known how I'd been treated you mean. "
" Yes...Potter, I know how hard it is to talk about what your relatives did to you. "
" How do you know?...Sorry. "
" Nothing to be sorry for Potter, I expect you to get angry and upset about it, it is normal to be that way. As for how I know, I grew up similar to how you were. The only difference is I wasn't treated like a house elf, and no one came to rescue me, my relief, if you'd like to call it that, was when the man that hurt me was killed. "
" How did you survive all that? "
" By being stronger than the coward that tried to bring me down. "
" Who was it? The man that hurt you. "
" My father. He was a cruel man, whether he was drunk or sober. And I wasn't his only victim, my mother was on the recieveing end of his fists, words, feet, belt, " Snape saw Harry flinch at the words, but continued,
" And anything else he would use on us. "
" Why would he do that? "
" Probably for the same reason why your relatives treated you the way they did. My mother and I were magic while he was not. "
" Your father was a muggle? "
" Yes Potter, like you I am a half-blood. "
Harry was silent for a moment, " They hated me. They made sure I knew I wasn't welcomed there...Up until I got my letters for school..."
" I'm sorry, letters? As more than one? "
" I didn't respond to the first one. It scared them, they thought that the Magical World was watching their house because of how it was addressed, and they moved me to Dudley's second bedroom. "
" What do you mean by that? "
" Which part sir? "
" The address of your first letter and that your cousin had a second bedroom. He should've had his own room along side you, that is a three bedroom house. "
" Well, the letter was addressed to me, it read ' Harry James Potter, Cupboard under the stairs, Surrey Number 4 Privet Drive. '
" Cupboard under the...Where Dursley got your trunk? You, they had you living in that? For 10 years? "
" They would also lock me in there if I ended up doing accidental magic or what they called weird or freakish things. "
Harry went quiet as he watched Snape run a hand over his face, the man was getting upset though Harry knew it wasn't at him, it still made him nervous, any adult getting upset around him made him nervous.
Snape must've noticed because he relaxed his face and looked calm again, Harry was curious how he was able to do that so quickly,
" How do you do that? " He asked.
" Do what Potter? "
" Be upset one second and then calm the next. Your always calm, unless I do something that upsets you. "
" Well given how your relatives treated you, your behavior is much more clearer. I get upset with you when you run head long into danger without a second thought, you could get hurt or killed Potter, you need to tell someone, that you trust, what is going on before you decide it's your unspoken sworn duty to do something so reckless and stupid. You damn near gave me a heart attack twice these last two years with that basilisk and Lupin. "
" Sorry sir. "
" Well hopefully this year will be different. Now as for your earlier question, it's called Occlumency. It's an advanced mind magic. It not only allows me to keep a hold of my emotions, but it also allows me to see into one's mind. "
" You can read minds?! "
" Only if I make direct eye contact and say the spell that allows me to see into their minds, not read them, though I suppose that would be the muggle term for it. " Snape could also use the spell wordlessly, but he didn't need to tell the boy that.
" C-Can you teach me? "
" It's very advanced Potter, more than the Patronus Charm you somehow mastered last year when rescuing your godfather with Ms. Ganger. "
" I didn't want to see Sirius die. He fought off his best friend to help us. You got injured while protecting me and my friends from him. I didn't want to see anyone else get hurt or worse that night. "
" I got knocked down Potter, not injured. "
" You still got hurt. "
" Alright, how about this, you do well on the essay and potion, then I will consider teaching you Occlumency. Does that sound fair? "
" Yes sir! "
" Good, now finish your breakfast...Not too fast! You'll choke. " Severus lightly scolded him for shoveling his remaining breakfast of ham, scrambled eggs and toast.
Harry slowled down and ate better. He was soon done and placed his dishes in the sink before Severus could stop him. Severus summoned a journal from his room, one he had yet to write in until now, he was going to record all that Harry told him of his treatment at the Dursley's and give it to Albus to use against them. He will tell him of this later in the evening before they go into his lab to practice the potion from the essay.
---
The essay was the easy part. Severus had to banish the potion twice before suggesting that he leave the cellar and let the boy do it alone.
Of course he didn't actually leave, he used an invisible and silencing charm and stood back and watched him work, he also wanted to make sure the boy didn't hurt himself by making a mistake.
At one point he thought the boy was going to get hurt when the potion began to bubble more than it was supposed too, but paused when the boy quickly calmed the bubbling and potiental explosion by adding an ingredident that would stop the explosion but not ruin the potion. Clever. He seemed to be a natural at potions when he wasn't being 'watched'.
Once Severus saw that the potion was done, he made himself known to the boy, shocking him that he had been there.
" That was sneaky. " He said with a grin that was his mother's.
" Slytherin. But well done Potter. "
" So does this mean I can learn Occlumency now? "
" Yes. But first, we will continue our conversation this morning. As well as your work. "
Harry sighed but agreed, he bottled up his potion, labeled it and followed his professor upstairs.
---
Severus rubbed his head as soon as Harry was upstairs in his room, he summoned a headache potion and downed it, 10 years of that boy's life was in a cupboard, a freaking cupboard! For 10 freaking years! Locked inside it when he released accidental magic, whenever he had released accidental magic, usually due to his parents arguing or his father yelling at him or coming at him, it'd make the beating worse.
He had least could leave, it was when his parents were arguing that led him to leave the house and meet Lily and every other fight or beating or normal day since. Only Lily knew of what was going on inside this house back then at least until he was 20 and finally told her parents. But they weren't surprised or shocked, they had suspected it having seen a couple of bruises a time or two when he thought they hadn't or how he would excuse them when they brought it up, being a nurse and a paramedic, Severus should've known that they'd know what abuse looked like but they didn't do anything because he never said anything, they could suspect and send someone over, but it had to have been his mother who could press charges if she wanted, but she was too afraid of his father.
He learned over the years that that was just the mentallity of abused women, not all of them, but most couldn't break that cycle and that children who grew up in that enviroment would either become abusers themselves, don't become abusers, do drugs to deal with what they went through, make themselves tougher so they wouldn't be in that position again.
Severus didn't become an abuser or use drugs, he did however made himself stronger, faster, more powerful than those that had hurt him so they wouldn't get the chance to do it again. He thought he was doing the right thing and that he could not only protect himself but those he loved and cared for.
Until he saw the cost of what becoming stronger was. Death, danger, life threatening. If not for his Occlumency he would've died long ago. Albus commented that he was more adapt at Occlumency than the Dark Lord himself, which came in handy when one was a spy for the Light side of the war and needing to lie in order to stay alive.
It amazed him that Harry could still be so kind to those around him despite how he was treated. He sighed as he now took a drink of the red wine in his tumbler, this was going to a long summer.