Chapter Text
Severus was heading to his living room when he heard Potter's voice. He stopped at the doorway and began to listen. He was going to kill the brat.
"Hermione, I swear it's great. I even got a bedroom with a bed. He gave me chores but nothing like the Dursleys gave. I get to eat three meals a day."
Severus couldn't believe it. Potter telling Granger it's was great here and better than his relatives? How was that possible? He wasn't treating the boy like a spoiled prince.
"Harry, have you told him what it was truly like there? How you slept in a cupboard? Never got anything to eat for days at a time? I won't even mention that list of chores."
"He won't listen to me. I can't even go into the library but Hermione you should see all the books, I just want to go and read them."
"Harry, I've been meaning to ask you about that."
"Books?" The confusion was clear in the boy's voice.
"Yes, when Hagrid took you shopping for your supplies, why didn't you buy more books or given the muggle-born basic books?"
"There are basic books?" Severus wonder what was going on. Why would Potter need basic books? He was told the boy learned all of their customs, rituals, and had been in training for years.
"Yes, the management should have supplied them to you. If they know you are a muggle-born or don't have knowledge of the wizarding world. The books are about writing with a quill. There are two that talk about basic customs in the wizarding world, one covers the basics of different ways of cutting in potions."
"I didn't get those books. I wonder why? Can you owl me them so I can read them?"
"Yes, what are you going to do about clothes?"
"I am not sure, last year I tried to buy ones that would be mine not hand me downs from Dudley but you know what happened. I need trainers, I don't think I can glue or tape these ones any longer. I am afraid to use magic on them when we get back to Hogwarts, they might not make it."
"You can't let Mrs. Weasley take you, she was given your key and plans on taking you. I heard Ron say something to her about making sure you didn't get anything that wasn't on the list."
"Why?"
"You know why."
"I do, but I guess I was hoping we were wrong."
"I don't think so, just from what I have been hearing here is making me want to return home. I am thinking of owling my parents and see if I can spend the rest of the summer there."
"You have been there just three days."
"Three days too much. Harry, the stuff they have planned isn't good, Ron tried to get me to join their plan. They are being paid to be your friend and keep you in the dark."
"We knew about the keeping me in the dark. We wondered why they were on the muggle side of the platform if I didn't have you I would have believed them. I am not sure how much longer I can keep this up, playing stupid is harder than I thought it would be."
"I am surprised you were able to do it last year."
"There were so many books 'Mione I wanted to read but every time I went to the library, he followed me there."
"I know, I slipped you as many books as I could. What are we going to for your second year? If Professor Snape doesn't believe you, we have no one who will help us in Hogwarts."
"I know. I tried to talk to him but he keeps seeing my bully of a father. That man was nasty 'Mione, I showed you his journal, those pranks him and his friends did were cruel."
"I don't understand why he thinks you are like him."
"I am not sure, someone said something about me looking like James."
"You still haven't seen a picture of your parents? No one gave you one?"
"No, but that is OK, knowing they didn't die in a drunken car crash is a better image than I had before."
"I still think you need to work on talking to him. He did take you for the summer."
"Yes, because I refused to go back to the Dursleys despite the Headmaster trying to make me. Granted I wasn't expecting to come here, I just wanted away from them."
"He doesn't know you found those letters or that you know about the stealing?"
"No, not yet, I kept that hidden. 'Mione, do you have any books about heirs?"
"No, but I can see if I can find one or two, why?"
"Neville mentioned something about being an heir and Malfoy is too, being the oldest sons of their families. I am wondering if I am one."
"You should be. I think I still have that book I read about the Sacred 28 and I thought I saw the Potter name in there."
"That would be great, I will see about a way to pay you back. I might have to go to the goblins and get my key that way. I have no winter clothes and well Dudley's are almost falling apart. I can't use magic to repair them here."
"Harry, I will see if my parents can try for custody again. You know they want you. We know it was blocked by the Headmaster."
"Your parents have been great. I do miss spending time with them."
"They miss you too. It's the first time in years we have been separated."
"Miss you too, 'Mione, I better go, I don't want him to get upset with me for using the floo without permission."
"He is treating you well?"
"It's Snape. He is doing what he always has done. I think he is working on if he ignores me, he won't kill me by the end of summer."
"I will send you books and those basic ones too."
"Thanks 'Mione. If they do get bad, you know you can go home, your parents would love it."
"I was just hoping I would get to see you. I wasn't expecting them to be in on the stealing and keeping you in the dark. I better go they will be returning soon. Bye Harry."
"Bye 'Mione."
Severus backed away and went to his office, he had to think about what he just learned. The boy didn't know he was there, he was too timid around him. He began to review everything he knew versus what he saw last year regarding the boy. He thought about what Albus had told him and a few things weren't making sense. He got up and went to find the boy.
"Potter." Severus saw the boy sitting on his bed, rereading his books from last year. He wondered how many times he had seen the boy rereading those books. "We need to talk." He saw the fearful look appear in the boy's eyes as he entered the room. "You aren't in trouble. I want to talk to you about I heard about an hour ago in the living room." He conjured a chair for him to sit in.
"I am sorry, I know I should have asked to use the floo. I will find a way to pay you back for the floo powder."
"I am not worried about that. I do want to talk to you about what I did hear." Severus saw the fear go higher, he pulled out his potion pouch and handed him a Calming Draught. "Drink that."
He watched the boy take it, look at it and smell it. "Calming Draught?"
Severus held back his surprise. "I can see your fear and we need to talk, it will help." He watched him drink it. "I heard what you were saying to Granger, I have a lot of questions I want you to answer for me."
"I can try, there are things we don't know about."
"Do your best. First I want to know what you meant by your own bed in a bedroom?"
"Well, my bedroom was a cupboard under the stairs, my letter even came addressed like that." Harry thought in for a penny in for a pound.
"A cupboard?"
"Yes, the boot cupboard, I had my baby mattress. I think it was from then as it's thin and small and Hermione said that what it was called."
"How long have you known Granger?"
"Since we were six, we went to the same school, and found out we had magic last summer."
"How did you read your father's journal?"
"After I got returned from shopping with Hagrid, my aunt made me go up to the attic and clean. I found their trunks and well, you can't tell anyone this."
"If it won't endanger you I won't."
"I can do magic without using a wand. We didn't know what it was called, we just said I did tricks. Hermione and I used to put on magic shows and get me money that way, I was able to buy trainers using the money as well as food. When I saw the trunks I shrunk them down and we have been going through the stuff in them."
"You can do magic without a wand?" Severus didn't know what to think of this news. If Harry could do wandless magic, what else could he do.
"Yes, the wand makes it slower and not as powerful but we figured if the Headmaster wanted me to stay with those people we should hide what I know."
"Why just you?"
"I would get beaten if I did better in school than Dudley, Hermione always got top scores but no one but her knows I keep it hidden."
Severus feared what his next question will bring out. "Why don't you trust the Headmaster?"
"We found the letters he sent to my relatives. The letters tell them he wants me submissive and obedient. I was to never know of our world until he came for me, there were ones where he mentioned fixing things with the local authorities after they visited the house and saw how I was treated. Mr. and Mrs. Granger have tried for years to get custody of me but he stopped it. He then sends warning letters to the Dursleys about getting their abuse under control and not letting anyone see it. He even mentioned making sure I ate more than twice a week. He knew I was being starved."
"There is more isn't there?"
"A lot, I am not sure you are going to like it any better."
Severus pulled out his own Calming Draught and took it. "Do continue."
"The Weasley family is being paid as I am sure you heard. Ron tried to get Hermione to join them. We don't know why. We are trying to figure it out but we figured it has to do with why my parents were killed and the Dark Lord possessing Quirrell than being burned alive."
"The Dark Lord possessed Quirrell?"
"Yes, that stone was used to make him come to Hogwarts. He wasn't happy with us being forced to go after it but he did warn us it might happen. He knows we didn't want to do it before he was turned back into that smokey form. He told me he wasn't mad at me."
"He didn't tell you why he attacked your parents?"
"He said he would and he warned me that I wouldn't like it but he did state he was insane and me defeating him got him back some of his sanity."
"Back to the stone, you said none of you wanted to go after it?"
"No, but we figured out that Hermione had a compulsion potion in her and that night I got the spell tossed on me. It was just like when we were forced to go after that troll."
"I thought Granger was in the bathroom when the Troll attacked?"
"She was but see Quirrell didn't want to do it and that was why he was in the bathroom. He was checking on us to make sure we were fine."
"He didn't want the troll loose?"
"Nope. He explained what a compulsion spell felt like and that is how we knew what happened."
"When did you start talking to the Dark Lord?"
"After our first class. He gave me a headache but only when his back was turned to me. Hermione and I stayed after class and well, you can't say anything about this either."
"I will try."
"I can see your dark mark. It's on your left arm. I saw the same darkness on the back of Quirrell's head but I see it throughout the Headmaster. His darkness is cruel, some of your snakes have a slight darkness in them but you are more greyish and so is most of the staff. Professor McGonagall is all white but that one that dresses weird, she is full of lies."
"Do you have to say anything to cast a spell?"
Harry just held out his hand a book appeared in it. He handed the book to Severus. It was the book that Severus had been reading and was on his nightstand. "Do you know what you are?"
"Yes, an elemental."
"What elements can you control?"
"All of them, the Dark Lord helped me get control over my emotions. When I was upset it would rain or snow, anger brought storms. I can light a fire without thinking of it. We tried water and discovered I can make waves and turn smooth into rough waters. We only did it on the lake but it was interesting to see. I can make the wind blow, one of the reasons I fly so well is I can fly on the wind currents and create them if I need to."
"Quidditch?"
"No, not during that, it would be cheating but I did learn a lot of my abilities before my first game."
"What about the curse during the game?"
"He was trying to see what you would do. He thought you might protect me and he was right, it is one of the reasons I didn't mind going with you."
"I thought you were a spoiled little prince."
"I know. Dumbledore has made sure everyone thinks that."
"I can only have you for the summer. He won't let you return here again."
"Yes, we can fix it so he can't change it."
"What do you mean?"
"Talk to Lucius. He will help us."
"How do you know Lucius?"
"The Dark Lord introduced us to him. The Dark Lord was originally going to help me escape from my relatives. His idea was a blood adoption and homeschooling for a while than have me return as someone else to Hogwarts."
"He was going to adopt you?"
"No, Lucius was. You need to talk to Lucius. He knows more than I do."
"I am thinking you are right. We still have some things to cover concerning your relatives but I think I have learned enough for now. Let's go and have some dinner, I made Sheppard's Pie."