Chapter 2

Last time

Once Dumbledore had read the letter he knew something had to be done. He went up to the fireplace and stuck his head in shouting

"SNAPE"

Now on with the chapter

"What is it Dumbledore?" Asked a very disgruntled Severus Snape.

"You must come to my office this instant, there's an emergency". Replied Dumbledore, just as his head began to disappear from the fireplace.

"Blasted Dumbledore. I wonder what he's found to wreck my summer this year." Snape then proceeded to pick up a handful of flue powder and fling it in the fireplace shouting, "Dumbledore's office. Sherbet lemon."

Trust Dumbledore to have a password like that thought Snape as he whizzed to Dumbledore's office.

"At last, I was scared that I would have to fire call you again."

"I was hurrying Albus. Honestly do you ever give people a chance to get here? Now what is this emergency?"

"Read this." Snape looked at the letter that was handed to him. He honestly didn't see what all the fuss was about; after all, this was just Potter pulling another practical joke. "Dumbledore this is obviously some prank. Potter is probably just feeling deprived of all the attention that he receives at school."

"That may be the case, but Miss Granger sounds really worried and I would wager, even you wouldn't consider her to lie about something like this." Snape had to agree there. Granger was the most unlikely person to lie about something this severe. She was the sensible one in the golden trio for god sake. But he also couldn't believe Potter was being abused. It was just too far fetched.

"Snape I need you to go and check on Harry. I have contacted the Dursley's and they believe you are to be attending dinner at their house to discus a shipment of drills that you are interested in purchasing from Mr. Dursley's company."

"You have got to be kidding me. I will not go, I refuse to act like some mere muggle just to…."

"Severus please, you know I wouldn't ask unless I thought it was an emergency."

"Yes I suppose, but no, wait a minute; I will not fall for this trick again. I will not go, I refuse."

"Severus please. I need someone to go and check on Harry and make sure he is alright. If there is nothing wrong you can give Mr. Potter and Miss Granger as many detentions as you like."

"Fine, but I can't believe you are making me go, I mean you know how much I loath Potter."

"Thank you Severus." Answered Dumbledore, with that annoying twinkle in his eyes.

Snape aperated to the Dursley's house at 7:10, just a few minutes later than the agreed upon time. How would it look for Severus Snape, the most loathed professor of Hogwarts to arrive on time? Not well at all!

Snape was just about to ring the doorbell when he realised he had not placed the concealing charms upon himself. Quickly he applied the charms, for he clearly didn't want Potter to recognize him now did he?

Snape rang the bell. After a few minutes with no answer, he rang the bell again. Snape heard a sound coming from inside so he pressed his ear up close to the door and what he was about to hear was going to shock him.

"Boy get the bloody door. You are to be our waiter tonight, and if you don't do exactly as we say, you will get no food for the next week, and I will not allow you to go back to that freak school of yours."

"But Uncle, you don't understand, I have to go back to Hogwarts".

And in that moment, Snape heard a sound that would change his mind forever about the boy-who-lived…Flesh hitting Flesh.

"Now boy get the door or do you want another lesson."

"No uncle Vernon please no, I'll get the door."

"THEN HURRY IT UP BOY!" roared Uncle Vernon

"Yes sir" replied Harry as he reached up and opened the door.

Snape's POV

The door opened and I had to hold back a gasp. There was Potter, standing there, covered in fresh bruises.

"May I please take you coat sir, and then I shall lead you into the dinning room" I gave my coat to the boy and promptly I heard the boy's stomach rumble. How long had they not fed this child?

Normal POV

"Boy quit dawdling and bring the man through, then go and collect the food for us. Don't touch any of it though, as it does not belong to you."

"Yes sir" replied Harry

Harry limped toward the kitchen and wished that he was allowed to eat. He hadn't eaten for three days and was starving. As he entered the kitchen, he spotted the food and his stomach rumbled for the second time that evening. This food looked so nice, trust Aunt Petunia to really out do herself. Oh how he wished he could eat this food.

"Hurry up there boy, what are you waiting for, the food to come by itself."

"Vernon don't say stuff related to the M word" said Petunia

"Sorry dear"

As Snape sat there, he couldn't believe what he was hearing…what on earth do they have against magic? Their nephew was a wizard for crying out load.

Harry eventually got into the room and put a fabulous dinner in front of them. After making sure everyone had their food, he slowly limped out of the room.

After the lovely meal Snape decided that he had better try and find Potter. Not that he was worried about him or anything, but Dumbledore would kill him if he didn't check on him. Now, how to excuse himself? "Thank you for that lovely meal Petunia

But, I need to use your toilet. Where may I find it?"

"Oh, it's upstairs on the left."

"Thank you"

Snape walked up the stairs and started opening the doors looking for Potter. Finally he came to the last door which was covered in locks. With a quick Alohomera, Snape pushed the door open and crept into the room.

The smell that met him made him want to be sick. He could smell a mixture of blood and urine. Now most people would smell this and be unable to place where the smell came from, but Snape, being an ex-death eater could easily place that particular smell.

Looking around he saw that all that was in the room was a bed and a lot of broken toys. But, there was something missing... what was it? Oh yes where the hell was Potters owl, and where the hell was Potter? Snape was sure that he had checked all the rooms and Potter had not been in any of them. Snape decided that he had best go downstairs before the muggles thought that he was up to something.

Snape was walking down the stairs when he saw a head looking out through the cupboard under the stairs. Snape blinked and looked back but the head had gone. Obviously the person had retreated back into the cupboard. Something really wasn't right here. But what could Snape do, he couldn't exactly accuse the Dursley's of neglecting Potter when he had only seen the boy once. And anyway, he was meant to be having dinner with them not accuse them of child abuse.

"So Severus do you think that you will want to purchase any drills."

"Well Vernon I will have to talk to my boss. But I think that the company will purchase some."

"Well would you like another drink?"

"No I will have to be going. I will contact you during the week."

"Ok, goodbye Severus."

Snape's POV

Well I was glad that I didn't have to spend another moment with that fat lump. Honestly I swear he was the size of a whale. And his son was even bigger! I was amazed that the boy could fit on the chair.

But how on earth was I going to get to Potter now. Then it hit me. I was a wizard wasn't I? I could sneak him out. I know that I shouldn't use magic in a muggle inhabited are; but this was a life and death situation.

Normal POV

Snape then went to a pub and waited there until he was sure the Dursley's had gone to bed. A few hours later, Snape was finally able to return to the Dursley's, with a very apprehensive feeling of what he may find.

Snape pulled his wand out of his side pocket and pointed it at the door. He was then able to sneak into the house, to the cupboard under the stairs. Snape pulled open the door and what he saw shocked him.