Destiny's Turn

Chapter 2

Once Severus was ready he left the dungeons and out of Howarts heading out past the anti-apperation wards before disappearing with a pop. He sneered as he appeared on Privet Drive, looking around at all the sickeningly identical houses and yards. He headed to Number 4 seeing the even more perfect yard and neatly painted fence.

Severus walks up to the front door knocking hard and hears what sounds like a herd of elephants coming toward the door. The door is jerked open by a child that resembles a baby whale. “What do you want?” the obviously spoiled ill-mannered boy demands.

He gives the brat his best classroom glare that has scared many a student into tears, causing the boy to cringe back slightly. “I need to speak with your parents immediately about Harry Potter. Where are they?” Severus pushes past the boy into the house shutting the door behind him. The boy takes off as fast as he can yelling “Mom, Dad there is a man here; he wants to talk to you about the freak.”

Severus stops short when the boy calls Harry a freak but disregards it as some stupid nickname children will give each other. As soon as the words leave the boys mouth a large whale of a man and a tall skinny woman come rushing into the room. “Who are you and what do you want?” the man who is obviously Vernon Dursley demands angrily.

“I am Professor Severus Snape, I teach at Hogwarts. I was sent here by the Headmaster to check on your nephew Harry Potter,” he tells them in as civil a tone as he can manage. He starts to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watches the Dursleys pale when he tells them why he is there.

“There isn’t anyone here by that name and we don’t want any of your freakish kind in our nice normal house, so get out of here now.” Vernon face turns purple as he puffs up trying to look intimidating.

Severus was really starting to think there was something wrong in this house, “I don’t care what you say. I know the boy lives here and you will tell me where to find him or you will not like the consequences.”

“You will get out of my house right this minute. That freak doesn’t live her, so I want you gone now.” Vernon tries to look tough, but Severus can see the fear in the fat muggle’s eyes.

“I do not think so; you will tell me where the child is right this second because I will not ask again.” Severus takes a step closer pulling his wand out of nowhere pointing it at the muggle threateningly.

Petunia terrified now that they will be killed points toward the stairs. Severus keeping one eye on the Dursleys heads over about to walk up the stairs, when Petunia stops him and points beside the stairs. Severus looking more upset by the minute walks around beside the stairs and stops cold when all he sees is the small door that obviously leads to a small cupboard with a large lock on it.

Severus steps up to the door hoping this is all a sick joke and these people have not locked a little boy in a closet. He raises his wand casting a nearly silent unlocking spell causing the lock to click open falling to the floor. He reaches out slowly opening the door, taking a deep breath as he looks inside. He sees nothing at first in the little bit of light coming from the hallway. He is about to step back when he hears a time whimper from deep in the back of the cupboard. He leans further into the closet casting lumos filling the small space with light.

He looks down and gasps in horror at what he finds. There on the cold dirty floor covered in a much too small blanket is the beaten bloody body of a small child. He reaches out lightly touching one shoulder causing the boy to curl up tighter only to cry out in pain at the sudden movement to his broken body. Severus slides to his knees leaning in as close as he can. “Harry listen to me, my name is Severus Snape and I’m here to help you, but I need to get you out of this cupboard to see how bad your injuries are. Can you move at all to get closer to the door so that I can reach you? I am much too tall to get in there to you.” Severus gently tells him hoping the boy can hear and understand him.

Nothing happens for a few seconds and Severus is trying to think of some other way to get to him without hurting him further, but knowing he needs to get to him now. All of a sudden he sees slight movement and very slowly Harry starts to crawl into the light and out of the cupboard collapsing as soon as he makes it, passing out from the pain of forcing his body to move. Severus gasps at the sight of little Harry in full light.

The child was completely emaciated and covered in cuts, bruises and even some burns. He was so filthy most of his wounds had to be infected or at least on their way to it. Severus slides closer reaching out to gently turn to the boy over so he can see how bad the front is. Harry is so tiny covered in bruises one eye is almost swollen completely shut and his nose looks broken. Severus checks Harry over carefully scanning him with is wand to make sure it is safe to move him. After making sure that it is okay to move him he very gently scoops Harry up into his arms. He turns to face the Dursleys with a snarl, “don’t think this is over. You will pay for what you did to this child.” With that he turns and walks out of the house.

Severus quickly walks back past the anti-apperition wards trying to decide the best place to take Harry knowing he cant take him to Hogwarts or Dumbledor with just send him back here. When Severus was sure they were out of sight he apperates away to the safest place for the boy. He appears in a grand entryway of what must be a huge manner house. Severus had been standing there several minutes getting impatient about to start yelling for his friend when he heard footsteps from behind him. “Severus to what do I owe this visit?” Lucius asks as he walks closer. Severus slowly turns around to face him being careful not to jar Harry. Lucius gasps when he sees the tiny beaten child in his friends arms.

Lucius rushes forward, “by Merlin Severus what happened? Come on you can tell me once we get the boy settled.” He turns and guides Severus up the stairs not giving him a chance to answer him. He takes him to one of the guest rooms and helps lay the boy down gently on the bed. He calls a house elf to bring them some warm water and lots of clean rags. “Now Severus please tell me what happened to this boy?” he reaches out and places one hand on his friends shoulder.

“I was sent to check on this boy by the Headmaster. He told me someone was worried but that no matter what I found I was to say everything was fine and leave. It was almost like he knew what I would find. Lucius I found this child locked in a cupboard.” Severus looks up at Lucius letting his friend see how disturbed he really feels by all this. “Do you know who this boy is Lucius, that Dumbledor let be abused to this extent?” As he askes this he reaches over and brushes the hair off the boys head letting him see the lightening bolt scar on the childs forehead.

“Merlin!! That’s Harry Potter. The Headmaster always tells everyone that he is perfectly happy with his family. What are we going to do Severus?”

Before Severus could answer there was a pop as the house elf returned with the requested items. Severus are silent as they slowly undress Harry so they can clean his wounds and heal him. They very gently start to use the cloths to wash all the dirt out of the wounds on his body. Once Harry is clean they start to rub potions and salves on the cuts, bruises and burns. When they have that done Severus forces a few potions down the unconscious boys throat to help heal any other wounds internal and external he may have. Severus stands stretching slightly before motioning for Lucius to follow him out of the room to let Harry sleep.

They head down to the study where Lucius pours them both a drink before sitting down watching as Severus paces up and down the room angrily. He walks over and grabs his drink finishing it in one swallow then pours himself another one before moving over to sit down across from Lucius. “How could anyone do that an innocent child Lucius. I just don’t understand it, and the fact that Albus seems to know about it and has allowed it to happen. Lucius we can’t let that little boy go back there and if the Headmaster finds out we have him, I know he will make him go back. I am sure Dumbledor has made himself Harry’s magical guardian; we would have to over ride that and the only thing that could do that would be to prove that his guardians are unfit. That shouldn’t be that hard a small dose of truth potion and Harry will tell them about the abuse and they will have to believe him, but we have to give the boy some time before he has to talk about it. So how do we keep Harry hidden?” Severus looks up at Lucius in frustration.

“Your right Severus he can not go back there. What you need to do is report to Dumbledor that everything was fine at the muggles and that the ‘Potter Brat’ is okay. You said the boy was never checked on so we should have some time. Harry will stay here as he heals up and gets comfortable talking about what happened and then we will worry about finding the boy a better home.”

Severus takes a deep breath then finishes his drink before standing up. “Yes, Lucius that might just work. I am going to sit with him until I have to leave for Hogwarts in the morning to see the headmaster.” Severus starts to walk out of the room, he stops turning back to face Lucius. “When will Narcissa and Draco be home from France?”

“They will not be back about a week that should give us plenty of time to at least get Harry back on his feet.”

Severus just nods before continuing out of the study and back to the room Harry is in. He sits down next to the bed staring at the boy hoping he could make everything work out alright and protect this special child who has been through too much.

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