Chapter Text
Harry walked towards their table and felt something tingle against his spine. He looked around him but saw no one. Maybe he had imagined it.
“Are you okay, Harry?” Hermione asked concerned.
Harry nodded, “I thought I felt something touch me, but I must be wrong.” He shrugged and smiled. He sat down between his friends and felt truly happy.
He was finally going to have a Dursley free Christmas and he couldn't imagine a greater gift. No being stuck in his cupboard while he listened to them opening gifts and laughing and having a grand meal. No Uncle Vernon drinking a bit too much and hitting Harry just because he felt like it. No Aunt Petunia screaming at him over nothing.
Yes, this Christmas would be his best Christmas ever. Harry could feel it. Plus Ron and his brothers would be there and Ron had said the twins had planned lots of fun stuff. He looked forward to whatever they had come up with.
The feast ended and Harry said his goodbyes to Hermione who would be leaving early in the morning. Her parents were taking her on a holiday to Paris and she was extremely excited about going to all the museums. Sometimes Harry wondered what it was like to have parents who took you to France and museums and who loved you with all their hearts.
Harry woke up and panicked. He had slept in a bed, aunt Petunia was going to be so mad! He quickly jumped out of it and straightened the blankets. Maybe she wouldn't notice if he was just quick enough.
Then he saw the other people in the room. He didn't know any of them but he was certain aunt Petunia would find out and he wasn't supposed to be seen. A freak like him was a shame for her family so he needed to be invisible and earn his keep. He let out a soft sob and made himself very small. He sat against the wall, holding his knees to his chest and cried.
He was so lost in his fear, trembling and crying, that he never noticed the other people in the room left to get help. He kept waiting for aunt Petunia's shrill voice to yell at him, but it never came.
Instead, a deep, gentle, voice spoke to him. “Do you know where you are, Harry?” The man asked.
Harry shook his head and looked at him in confusion, “Please don't tell my aunt I was a bad boy.” He whispered softly.
“You are at Hogwarts, your aunt isn't here.” The man said. Harry's eyes lit up, was he safe then?
“I don't know a Hogwarts,” Harry said quietly, feeling a little embarrassed. Something told him he should know this. He expected the man to get angry but he just smiled at Harry.
“Hogwarts is a school and a castle. It is a magical place.” The man said.
“Aunt Petunia says magic is freaky and that I shouldn't do freaky things.” Harry said. “She is going to be very mad about this.” He said sadly.
The man gave him a sad look. Harry felt bad for making him look sad. He didn't mean to. This was probably why his aunt told him to never mention the freaky stuff.
“We won't tell her,” The man said after a while, “it will be our little secret.” He smiled, “Would that be acceptable?”
Harry nodded and smiled, “Yes. I am Harry Potter, my teacher told me last year and I am 6 years old.” He held out his tiny hand and the man shook it carefully.
“My name is Severus Snape and I will look after you for awhile.” He said softly and looked at Harry thoughtfully.
“I will earn my keep!” Harry said hurriedly, “I can do the cooking and the cleaning and I will sleep in the cupboard.”
“Nonsense, you don't have to do a thing. It's the holidays and little boys such as yourself ought to spend it having fun.” Severus said.
Harry looked puzzled, “Aunt Petunia says I am a freak and freaks earn their keep.” He said, “It's fine, really.” He tried to reassure the man.
“Harry, you are not a freak.” Severus said, “your aunt was wrong, very wrong. So you can spend your holidays as all little boys do.” He smiled at Harry again, “I promise it's okay.”
“Okay,” Harry agreed and let the man help him up.
Severus was shocked by the things he learned. He realised how mistaken he had been about the Potter boy. The child wasn't spoiled at all, no he lived with that vicious hag Petunia and was treated like a bloody house elf. How had he allowed himself to be so blinded and missed the signs? He felt ashamed of himself and vowed to do anything within his power to ensure the boy never had to return to his abysmal relatives.
It was clear Petunia had never grown up and was the same hateful person she had always been. Severus realised he too had been holding on to an old hatred and it had made him bitter and ignorant of the signs Harry had shown of abuse. He had to do better, he would do better.
Looking after a 6-year-old Harry Potter was not how he had imagined to spend his Yule break but he would take this opportunity to ensure things would become better for both of them. At least it was nice to not spend Christmas alone, as he had each year since his mother's death. And he had to agree with Albus that between him and Filch, he was the better option to look after Harry while Albus searched for a way to age him back to his proper age.
He was surprised that Harry told him he was six, he looked closer to three. He suspected that Petunia and her husband were starving him, too. He wondered who had been foolish enough to make Harry live with them. He figured out it had to be Albus and surely the man had to know what a cruel, spiteful bully Petunia had always been? How she had always tormented Lily? It made no sense to send Harry to live with that horror of a woman. No sense at all.
Severus decided Harry needed to have the best holiday ever and enlisted the Weasley twins and their older brother to go out and buy clothes and toys suitable for Harry in the current state he was in. He summoned the teddy bear his mother had once gifted him and knew the little thing would have a new home soon.
He approached Harry and handed him the bear. “I played with this when I was younger but I would like for you to have it now.” He said with a smile. “It would like to live with a young child again.”
Harry gasped, “Never had one before.” He said and teared up, “Thank you!” He exclaimed and hugged Severus. “I will take good care of it.” He promised and clutched it to his chest as though it was the most precious thing in the world.