A Chance at Normal

Disclaimer: I don\'t own any of the characters, just the plot.

A/N: well this is my attempt at Severitus\'s challenge. I hope that you all

enjoy it. Remember I thrive on reviews; they are what help keep me

motivated. I am still working on my other story so don\'t panic. Now, on

with the story.

Chapter 1: Save Me

Harry lay curled in a ball on the floor in front of his bed. Blood stained his

clothes and the floor around him. He was going to die. Not at the hands of

the Dark Lord as many would think, but at the hands of his family. If that

were what you would consider them.

The Dursley\'s hated Harry for one simple reason. Harry was a wizard.

Vernon Dursley believed that this gave him all the right in the world to beat

his nephew within an inch of his life whenever he felt like it and to basically

make Harry the house servant. But then again servants were treated better

than what he was. Until Harry was 11 years old he had been thrown into a

small cupboard under the stairs where he was forced to spend the majority of

the day in and at night his uncle would lock him in it. But that all changed

slightly for the better when he received a letter that changed his whole life.

His acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Things seemed to get better until his

uncle found out that he couldn\'t use magic outside of school. Then things

started going down hill from there. It was worse now than it had ever been.

Harry couldn\'t breath because of several ribs that had punctured his lungs.

He could barely move, his shattered leg and arm prevented him from moving

to try and send for help. And then if things were not bad enough already, his

\'family\' had decided that he no longer needed to be fed. His last meal had

been at the end of the year feast at Hogwarts and that had been about a

month ago. At least that was what Harry had thought. He couldn\'t

remember what day it was let alone how long ago it had been when he was

at Hogwarts. Harry felt the tears gathering in his eyes. He would probably

never see the school again. He would be dead by the time that the new term

would begin, and by the time that someone would realize that he was not at

school it would have been too late. Harry let the tears flow freely from his

eyes. All the sudden Harry felt something warm on his neck. He opened the

one eye that wasn\'t swelled shut and seen that Hedwig had brought him a

scrap of parchment and stub of a pencil. She hooted softly trying to comfort

him. With his severely mangled hand he managed to scribble a barely

legible sentence before he passed out. Hedwig picked up the paper in her

beak and started for the flap in the door. She was just about ready to push

her way through when she heard the heavy unmistakable footsteps of

Vernon headed toward the room. The owl quickly hid under the bed in the

darkest and farthest corner. Form that vantage point she saw the pig of a

man kick Harry a couple times more in the ribs and then several swift kicks

to the side of his head. Harry remained still and was eerily silent. Hedwig

waited until the door clicked shut again and the footsteps fade into the other

side of the house before she moved from her hiding spot. She waddled back

to the door and with a glance behind her at her master she pushed out of the

flap into the hallway. The quickest window to get to would probably be the

bathroom window. At 1:30 in the morning a white owl with blood spattered

onto its body slipped into the night heading for Hogwarts school of

Witchcraft and Wizarding in hopes that it would reach someone in time to

save Harry.

A silent figure walked briskly through the darkened and empty halls of

Hogwarts. Severus Snape had just returned from a meeting with the

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore where he had been updated on the progress

of finding a new Minister of Magic. The pompous ass that was in office

now was a joke. Cornelius Fudge would be the end to the Wizarding world if

he were allowed to continue being Minister. Everyone knew that Arthur

Weasley was the one that should be rightfully the Minister but his love of

Muggles things kept him happy where he was now. Severus knew that if

Arthur were asked to step in he would be happy. God knows that he would

be paid better. And he was one that could really use a better paying job.

Severus was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn\'t see the owl that came

barreling toward him until it was too late.

A pure white owl flew into him and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Severus alarmed at what had happened kneeled down to look at the owl to

see if it was hurt. He saw blood smeared on one side of its wing but could

not find the source of the blood. He looked at the owl again and froze. This

owl was Potter\'s owl. Severus looked down at the owl\'s legs to see if there

were any messages but the legs were bare. The owl that up to this point had

been relatively still tried to stand but fell back over exhausted from its trip it

lifted its head and dropped a small scrape of parchment into Severus\'s hand.

He carefully opened the message and read the single sentence.

\'Someone please save me.\'

Severus felt his heart plummet; he needed to get to Albus. Something

terrible has happened to Harry. He just hoped that they were not too late.

Severus gathered the owl back into his arms, turned around and ran back

toward Albus\'s office. He reached the stone gargoyle in a matter of seconds

and breathlessly wheezed the password, \"Skittles.\"

The gargoyle rolled around to reveal a set of narrow steps. Not knowing if

his feet ever touched the stone steps he reached the top and flung the door

open.

A stunned Albus Dumbledore stood up quickly from behind his desk and

rushed to Severus who was trying to take a deep breath.

\"What is the matter Severus,\" he asked seeing the bloody owl in his arms.

\"whose owl is that and what happened to it?\"

Severus was finally able to choke out, \"Potter is in trouble.\" He handed

Albus the small note. He read the note and rushed over to the fireplace. He

threw in a handful of powder and said \"Minerva, come to my office

immediately!\" In a matter of seconds Minerva McGonagall came through

the fireplace with a very grim look on her face.

\"Albus, what\'s wrong, what happened?\" she looked around the office and

her gaze rested on the white owl. \"It\'s Harry isn\'t it?\" she said hoping that

she was wrong.

Albus said nothing but nodded his head; \"You and Severus are to leave

immediately for 4 Private Drive in Surrey. I just hope that this trip will not

be in vain.\" The three nodded solemnly and the two turned and hurried out

the door leaving the wizened old wizard alone with his worries.