Chapter Text
Harry sighed, sitting on a bench at King’s Cross. It was pretty evident now: no one was coming to pick him up.
He opened his trunk, thankful he’d gotten one that locked with a key rather than magic, and pulled out some parchment, a quill and a small bottle of ink. He quickly penned a letter, went outside, trunk still in tow, and let Hedwig out of her cage.
“Hey, girl, I need you to take this to Dumbledore for me, okay?” He asked, handing the letter over. “No stops, get it to him as quick as you can.”
Hedwig nuzzled him and took off, flying towards Hogwarts as quickly as she could go.
He went back inside and waited. Surely someone would be sent after him. He was, after all, the boy-who-lived. Dumbledore wouldn’t want something bad to happen to him, right?
*****
Dumbledore looked up at the impatient tapping on his window.
He recognized Harry’s owl and smiled. “Harry’s already writing to people, is he?” He chortled in amusement, opening the window and taking the letter.
He opened it and paled.
“Dear Professor Dumbledore,
The Dursleys never came to pick me up. I’m still at King’s Cross, and I think someone needs to come get me. I doubt that Vernon is coming. He doesn’t much like me, and was against me going to Hogwarts at all.
Please, Sir, send someone, anyone, to pick me up. I really don’t want to spend any more time here alone. I’m worried I’ll get kidnapped if I have to stay here overnight.
Harry Potter”
Dumbledore paled. It was nearly midnight!
He tossed some Floo powder into the fireplace and called out: “Severus!”
Severus came out of his bedroom in a dressing gown, scowling fiercely. “What, Albus?! I was just about to go to bed! What could possibly be the matter this time?!”
Dumbledore sighed. “It would seem that Harry has been abandoned by his relatives. Could you pick him up and escort him safely home? I will, of course, provide you a Portkey to King’s Cross.” He offered.
Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Could you not foist the odious boy onto somebody else? Anybody else?” He asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. “Severus, you are the only one I trust enough for this. It has to be you.” He insisted.
“Fine!” Severus snapped. “Give me a few minutes to dress and I will be in your office.”
Dumbledore smiled in relief. “Thank you, Severus.”
Severus gritted his teeth. “I expect no more tasks to be sent my way this summer!” He snapped.
“We will see.” Dumbledore said genially.
*****
Severus arrived on platform 9 ¾ and strode toward the barrier, walking through it. He looked around and spotted the boy sitting on a bench with his trunk next to him and the empty owl cage atop it.
He strode up to the boy, who looked at him in resignation.
“It had to be you, huh? Figures.”
Severus sneered at the boy. “I am equally overjoyed at the prospect of more time spent in your company, I assure you.” He told him. “Let’s get you home so I may get some sleep tonight.” He said, casting a quick featherweight charm on the trunk the boy was dragging behind him.
Harry blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Sir.” He said.
“Don’t mention it.” Severus drawled, leading the boy outside and throwing his wand hand out.
A purple triple-decker bus appeared and the door opened. An old man dressed in a purple uniform stepped forward. “Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Sidney Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening.” He announced. When he saw who was boarding, he smiled. “Well, hello there, Severus. Haven’t seen you in some time.”
Severus nodded. “Quite.” He agreed.
“And who’s this?” The man asked, looking at Harry as Severus paid their fare.
“Harry Potter. It would appear his relatives forgot to pick him up from the station tonight.” Severus answered.
Harry shrugged. “I don’t think ‘forgot’ is really the right term. More like ‘never meant to.’” He said sullenly.
“Semantics.” Severus hissed.
“Well, where to?” Sidney asked.
Severus sighed. “Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.” He told the man, then pulled Harry toward the back of the bus. “Just do us both a favor and keep quiet.”
Harry sighed, but nodded. He could do that. Keeping quiet was one of the things he’d learned to excel at under the Dursleys’ ‘care.’
After a fast-paced, and somewhat bumpy, ride, Severus was urging him up and off the bus.
They walked up to number four and Severus rapped sharply on the door.
“I doubt anyone’s up.” Harry muttered.
Severus shot him a glare. “Well, they’ll just have to get up.” He said firmly. He knocked again, louder.
When no response came, he cast a spell on the door and knocked again.
“What was that spell?” Harry asked in interest.
“It will make the knocks louder than gunshots, but only to those inside the house.” Severus said, sounding smug. “Should wake them right up.”
Harry hid his grin.
After a few more minutes, just as Severus was getting ready to knock again, Vernon opened the door. “What’s all this racket?!” He snapped.
“It would appear that you forgot something at King’s Cross earlier today.” Severus drawled.
Vernon glared at Harry, then looked back at Severus. “We didn’t forget; the freak’s not welcome here anymore! We swore when we took him in that he’d never do anything freaky in our house! If he’s going to that school, your lot can deal with him. Leave us alone!” He shouted, and then slammed the door in Severus’ face.
Severus looked at Harry in shock. “I thought you were… Never mind, apparently I was wrong. Come on, we’re going to Hogwarts.” He said, pulling the boy close and Apparating them to Hogwarts’ gates. He led the boy quickly through the halls and up to the Headmaster’s office. “Albus!” He called out, banging on the door. “Get up and deal with this!”
Dumbledore appeared at the door looking as chipper as ever, in a bright pink dressing gown with neon orange stars on it. “Yes, Severus?” He asked, glancing between Harry and the Potions Master.
Severus glared at him. “They refused to take the boy. They said that he wasn’t welcome there as long as he was attending this school.” He explained.
Dumbledore sighed. “Well, then. We have no choice but to shelter him here. Unfortunately, there is only one male teacher that hasn’t left for the summer—“
“No.” Severus snapped. “He is not staying with me! I refuse!”
“Severus, be reasonable—“
“I said no, Albus, and I meant it!”
Dumbledore sighed, folding his hands in front of himself. “What could one night hurt? We can most likely make other arrangements tomorrow.” The man said evenly. “Please, Severus. You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if it were not necessary.” He finished softly.
Severus sighed. “Very well, he can sleep on the couch. Come along, Potter, and bring your infernal trunk.” The man said, turning and heading for his private rooms.
Harry followed him, frowning. It looked like he was again going to be the unwanted intruder, just in a different person’s home now. He comforted himself with the thought that anywhere was better than the Dursleys’.
Severus opened the door with a whisper and turned to eye Harry. “You will not be given the password to my rooms, so do not expect it. If you feel the need to go wandering tonight, you will be locked out until morning. I advise against it.”
Harry shook his head. “I won’t, Sir. I promise.” He said.
Severus let out an incredulous noise. “You will sleep here.” He pointed his wand at a throw pillow on the couch, and it turned into a deep green comforter, spreading over the couch. “I wake at six every morning, and we will be heading to breakfast at seven.” He said firmly.
“Yes, Sir.” Harry said, opening his trunk and digging his pajamas out. “Sir, where is—“
“The bathroom is through that door,” Severus interrupted, pointing his wand at one of the two doors in the room. “That one,” he pointed at the other, “Leads to my bedroom. You will not go in there, am I understood?”
Harry nodded, then fled into the bathroom to change.
When he came back out, Severus was poking at the fire. He straightened and looked Harry over critically. “If the fire gets low at any time during the night, you can call for a house-elf to add more wood.” He said curtly. “If it completely burns out, the room will quickly cool. The blanket I’ve transfigured for you should keep you reasonably warm, but a fire will do that better.”
Harry nodded. He didn’t think he’d need to call for a house-elf, whatever that was. He was used to being cold, it wouldn’t bother him very much. His cupboard never got very warm, except in the summer, but even then it stayed cooler than the rest of the house.
Severus gave him a terse nod. “Good night, then. I will see you in the morning.” He said.
“Good night, Sir.” Harry called after him as he went into his bedroom and shut the door.
Harry put his glasses on the table in front of the fire before lying down on the couch and covering up with the blanket, letting the crackle of the fire lull him to sleep.
*****
Harry woke to the sound of a door being slammed. He sat up and reached out a hand to find his glasses. He reached too far and overbalanced, sliding off of the couch and onto the stone floor. The fire had apparently been stoked, and was burning merrily.
Harry found his glasses and slid them onto his face, getting up and folding the blanket he’d used the night before, before setting it on the arm of the couch.
He noticed that the bathroom door was closed. ‘Must be that that woke me up.’ He thought.
He went to his trunk and opened it, grimacing at the cast-offs he had to wear, but pulling out a set of them anyway.
When Severus came out, freshly showered and dry, he sneered at Harry. “You have twenty minutes. Shower, dress, and meet me back out here so that we may go to breakfast. Do not make me wait.” The man advised.
Harry nodded and went into the bathroom. He stripped out of his pajamas and turned on the shower. Twenty minutes was a lot longer than the Dursleys would give him, plus here he was allowed to use the warm water instead of getting stuck with cold, as hot water cost money, and the Dursleys were never willing to spend extra money on Harry.
Harry quickly showered and dressed, then walked out, toweling his hair dry.
Severus looked up from his tea and sneered. “Put the towel in the hamper in the bathroom, there is a charm to dry hair. Come back out and I’ll teach it to you.”
Harry looked up in surprise. “Okay.” He went back into the bathroom and tossed the towel he’d been using into the hamper. He walked back out into the sitting room.
Severus pointed his wand at Harry’s head. “Siccesco.” He cast, and Harry’s hair fell flat, totally dry.
Harry ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. “Hey, look, you got it to lay flat!” He said in surprise.
Severus sneered at his enthusiasm. “I’m sure it will not last long.” He said, then gave Harry’s baggy clothes another sneer. “What, pray tell, are those hideous excuses for clothing?” He asked.
Harry flushed. “They’re my cousin’s. The Dursleys never wanted to waste money on me, so I only get new clothes once Dudley had finished with them. I know they look horrid, but they’re all I’ve got besides my school uniforms.” He explained.
Severus stiffened. He’d suspected that the boy wasn’t cared for very well when he’d arrived at the school, since he was so painfully small. Starvation, derogatory names, and humiliation. What other sins were the Dursleys responsible for?
“Change into your school uniform. If you’re not going to live with them, there’s no reason you can’t buy your own clothes. I’ll take you to Diagon Alley today. I’m sure Albus still has your key for you. There’s no reason you can’t have it since you won’t be going back to those Muggles.” Severus told him, setting down the nearly empty cup of tea.
Harry got his uniform out of his trunk and hurried into the bathroom to change.
When he came back out, tying his Gryffindor tie, Severus’ lip curled. “Leave that off. I have no desire to be reminded of your house any more than is necessary. The crest on your robes will irk me enough.” He told Harry.
Harry glanced up at him in surprise, but put the tie in his trunk, smiling a little bit. “Yes, Sir. Sorry.”
Severus sighed. “Well, let’s get to breakfast, then.” He said, before leading the way to the Great Hall, Harry following behind him.
*****
“Albus, I was wondering if you still had Potter’s Gringotts key.” Severus asked.
Dumbledore looked at him for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I have it with me right now, as a matter of fact. Why?” He asked.
Severus nodded toward the boy. “The only clothes he has that are fit for wearing are his school uniforms. I could take him to Diagon Alley today and remedy that situation, if only we had his vault key.”
Dumbledore looked him over for a moment. “But that would mean spending more time with the boy. Surely you don’t want to spend your day watching over him.”
“I would do it to see him in clothes that fit him rather than those rags his relatives gave him to wear.” Severus hissed.
“Very well.” Dumbledore pulled the key from one of his many pockets and held it out to Severus. “Since he will not be going back to his relatives, I suppose it would be best for him to keep his key. That way, he’ll have it if and when he needs it.” He said.
Severus nodded. “I thought so, as well.” He agreed, slipping the key into his pocket.
Dumbledore smiled. “Be sure to take him to Fortescue’s after. He’s had a trying year, and after yesterday’s excitement, I think he deserves it. You certainly deserve a treat, too, Severus.” He told the man.
Severus sniffed. “Fine, we will stop for ice cream. I can always send him out to the Pitch to work off his sugar high when we return.”
“That’s the spirit!” Dumbledore said brightly.